Cabinet Approves Anti-Conversion Bill, Ordinance To Be In Place Till Then: Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra

Anti-Conversion Bill In Karnataka: State cabinet approved the anti-conversion bill and the bill will be discussed in the next assembly session, said Home Minister Araga Jnanendra

Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra.

Source : ANI file

New Delhi: Karnataka cabinet on Thursday approved the anti-conversion bill and the bill will be discussed in the next assembly session, said Home Minister Araga Jnanendra. Ahead of the cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai hinted that the government will implement the bill through the ordinance rule. The Home Minister reportedly said that the department has drafted a note which will be distributed during the cabinet meeting.

"Cabinet has approved the anti-conversion bill, it will be tabled in the next session, till then ordinance will be in place," news agency ANI said, quoting Home Minister Araga Jnanendra.

Cabinet has approved the anti-conversion bill, it will be tabled in the next session, till then ordinance will be in place: Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra

(File Pic) pic.twitter.com/h94G1EOwBt

— ANI (@ANI) May 12, 2022

The Karnataka protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill was earlier passed in the Legislative Assembly in December 2021. But, the passage of the bill is still pending in the Legislative Council. "Because the Assembly and Council got prorogued, we are placing a proposal to promulgate an ordinance in the Cabinet today," Deccan Chronicle quoted as saying by Basavaraj Bommai. 

The contentious bill aims to prohibit religious conversion through marriage or inducement such as employment among others. The bill says people who force conversion will be imprisoned for 3 to 5 years with a fine of Rs 25,000. Converting women, children and SC/ST will attract a jail term of 3-10 years, with a Rs 50,000 fine while the mass conversion will attract a 3-10 years jail term along with Rs 1 lakh fine.