Haryana Assembly Passes Anti-Conversion Bill, Congress Stages Walkout
Leader of Opposition Bhupendra Singh Hooda said that there is a provision of punishment in case of forcible conversion in the existing laws, so there was no need to bring a new law.
New Delhi: The Haryana Legislative Assembly on Tuesday passed a bill against conversion through force, undue influence, or allurement. Congress protested the bill and walked out of the House.
The bill, introduced in the Assembly on March 4, was brought up for discussion on Tuesday.
Similar bills were recently passed in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh.
According to the Haryana Prevention of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2022, if conversion is done through greed, force or fraud, there is a provision of one to five years imprisonment and a fine of at least one lakh rupees.
According to the bill, anyone who converts or attempts to convert a minor or a woman or a person belonging to a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe will be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding four years, which is increased to 10 years and a minimum of three years. A fine of at least three lakh rupees can be imposed.
"We've passed the Prevention of Unlawful Conversions Bill; 127 cases were reported in the last 4 years... Religious conversion is a major problem. If by choice, one can change their religion by law, but act has been passed for unlawful conversions," said Haryana CM as quoted by ANI.
We've passed the Prevention of Unlawful Conversions Bill; 127 cases were reported in the last 4 years... Religious conversion is a major problem. If by choice, one can change their religion by law, but act has been passed for unlawful conversions: Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar pic.twitter.com/58gFkdJPBi
— ANI (@ANI) March 22, 2022
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Leader of Opposition Bhupendra Singh Hooda said that there is a provision of punishment in case of forcible conversion in the existing laws, so there was no need to bring a new law.
Senior Congress leader Kiran Chaudhary said, "I think this will be a black chapter in Haryana's history."
"This Bill will deepen the communal divide, this Bill is scary. It can have grave consequences in future..the shape in which this Bill has been brought is what we are objecting to," she said.
Senior Congress leader Raghuvir Singh 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".
The Congress members later staged a brief walkout from the House.
(With PTI inputs)
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