New Delhi: Days after the Karnataka cabinet passed the Anti-Conversion Bill through ordinance, Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Tuesday gave ascent to the ordinance of the bill. An ordinance to provide for the Right to freedom of religion and prohibition of unlawful conversion from one religion to another by misrepresentation force, undue influence, coercion, allurement, or by any other means.
Earlier on Tuesday, Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said, "We've not brought bill targeting any community. Everybody has the right to follow their religion...It's in the constitution that there can't be forced conversions. We've just brought provision for punishment in case it happens."
Earlier on Thursday (May 12), Jnanendra said that the bill has been approved by the cabinet through ordinance and bill will be discussed in the next assembly session. The bill was earlier introduced in December in the assembly but the passage of the bill is still pending in the Legislative Council.
The anti-conversion bill aims to prohibit religious conversion through marriage or inducement such as employment among others. The ill says people who force conversion will be imprisoned for 3 to 5 years with a fine of Rs 25,000. Besides, 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.