Karnataka: Siddaramaiah-led Congress authorities repeals anti-conversion legislation

In line with its anti-Hindu ballot guarantees, the Siddaramaiah-led Congress govt in Karnataka has introduced that it’ll repeal the anti-conversion legislation.

The choice was taken on the Cabinet assembly and the modification shall be launched within the Budget session subsequent month. The choice was introduced by Karnataka Law Minister HK Patil.

The Congress authorities has determined to repeal the Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Act, 2022, popularly often called the anti-conversion legislation, which was launched by the earlier BJP govt. It was handed by the meeting in December 2021. Congress had opposed the invoice at the moment.

What is the Anti-Conversion Law?

The Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Act “provides for protection of 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 fraudulent means.” It additional “prohibits conversion from one religion to another religion by misrepresentation, force, fraud, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by promise of marriage.”

Violation of the legislation was punishable with imprisonment for a time period of three years, which might lengthen to 5 years, and a wonderful of ₹25,000. If the conversion concerned a minor baby or an individual of unsound thoughts or a girl or an individual belonging to the Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe, the imprisonment time period was prolonged to 10 years.

The Congress had staged a walkout from the Assembly when the Bill was handed by the then-govt. It used as many adjectives as out there within the English dictionary calling the Bill “anti-people”, “inhuman”, “anti-constitutional”, “anti-poor” and “draconian”.

Several instances have been filed within the state underneath the Act because it was carried out. More than one case was reported each month.

Cases of Conversion in Karnataka
13 October, 2022: 19-year-old woman transformed to Islam

The first case of conversion was filed in October final yr after the household of a 19-year-old woman alleged that their daughter was forcefully transformed to Islam by a 24-year-old Syed Mueen on the promise of marriage.

The accused, who used to run a rooster stall, was arrested and remanded to judicial custody.

12 December 2022: Pastor and his household convert Dalit household

The Koppal police arrested a pastor and his spouse for allegedly forcing a Dalit household to transform to Christianity. Their teenage son, 17, was additionally booked underneath POCSO Act for raping the minor daughter of the household.

The sufferer Dalit household, belonging to the Budgajangam neighborhood, later reverted to Hinduism.

24 Semptember, 2022: 12 booked for changing Dalit man to Islam

The Hubballi police filed a case in opposition to 12 individuals together with Nadeem, Iqbal, Rafiq and Shabbir for changing a Dalit man to Islam.

26-year-old Sridhar Gangadhar was compelled to endure circumcision and in addition compelled to eat beef.

Congress heeding calls for of Amnesty International?

On 23 May, 2023, the doubtful organisation Amnesty International that closed its workplace in India after a number of businesses began probing in opposition to it over allegations of FCRA violation, raised an inventory of anti-Hindu calls for for the Congress govt in Karnataka.

In its calls for, it known as to take away the hijab ban in colleges, permit cow slaughter and take motion in opposition to Hindus who boycott Muslim outlets.

Notably, Karnataka’s Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences Minister Okay Venkatesh had lately remarked, “What is wrong with slaughtering cows?”

It appears from the place its headed that the Siddaramaiah govt may as properly meet these calls for.

More controversial choices introduced

Revising the state syllabus, the Karnataka govt has determined to take away chapters on RSS founder BK Hedgewar and freedom fighter Veer Savarkar.

The revised syllabus will as a substitute embrace chapters on Jawaharlal Nehru and Ambedkar.

#WATCH | “…syllabus on K. B. Hedgewar has been dropped…whatever changes they (previous govt) have done last year, we have changed it and reintroduced whatever was there last to last year…”: Madhu Bangarappa, Karnataka Education minister on textbook syllabus pic.twitter.com/QyfDqZoiwD

— ANI (@ANI) June 15, 2023

The Karnataka Cabinet has additionally made obligatory the studying of the Preamble of the Constitution in colleges and faculties.

The State cabinet has determined to make it obligatory to learn the Preamble of the Constitution together with the hymn in colleges and faculties: Karnataka Minister HK Patil

Karnataka Cabinet has additionally determined to amend the APMC Act within the state to carry again the outdated legislation. The revision of… pic.twitter.com/7K1XJXnZL0

— ANI (@ANI) June 15, 2023