Haryana assembly passes Bill to check forcible religious conversions

Tribune News Service

Pradeep Sharma

Chandigarh, March 22

Walking into the footsteps of several BJP-ruled states, including Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, the Haryana Assembly today passed a Bill to prevent forcible religious conversions amidst a walkout by the Opposition Congress, which termed the law as BJP’s “political agenda”.

Will instil fear among criminals

The Bill is aimed at instilling fear among those who commit crimes. The sole purpose is to check forcible religious conversions. Manohar Lal Khattar, Chief Minister

No need for fresh law

The Bill is part of BJP’s divisive agenda. There is no need for a fresh law when adequate punitive provisions exist in the current law. Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Ex-CM

Launching a scathing attack on the BJP-led government for its agenda “to divide society along religious lines”, Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh contended that there was no need for a fresh law when adequate punitive provisions existed in the current law.

Terming the Bill as a “black chapter” in the state’s history, Kiran Chaudhry (Congress), said it would deepen the communal divide and could have grave consequences.

However, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar asserted that the Bill was aimed at instilling fear among those who committed crimes.

The CM said a person could change religion as per his own free will, but it would not be allowed to happen to anyone forcibly. Action will be taken against such people if they convert religion by deceit or by giving any kind of greed. The purpose of the Bill is to check forcible religious conversions.

Khattar claimed that 127 FIRs for religious conversion were registered in six districts in four years. More cases of conversion had been witnessed in Yamunanagar, Panipat, Gurugram, Palwal and Faridabad, he added.

According to the Haryana Prevention of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2022, if conversion is done by allurement, use of force, fraudulent means or coercion, there is a provision for imprisonment of one to five years and a fine of not less than Rs 1 lakh. In case of marriage in contravention of the law, the punishment would not be less than three years, which may extend to 10 years and a fine of not less than Rs 3 lakh.

Besides, whoever converts or attempts to convert a minor, a woman or a person belonging to the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than four years, which may extend to 10 years and is liable to a fine not less than Rs 3 lakh.

Senior Congress leader Raghubir Kadian said, “There is no emergency or urgency for bringing this Bill. “I feel that this Bill smacks of divisive politics, which is not good,” he asserted.

Meanwhile, Congress’ Nuh MLA Aftab Ahmed feared that the Bill would bestow unfettered discretion on state agencies, which was impermissible under the Indian Constitution.

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