Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru (MS)

Bengaluru, Dec 12: With just a day left for the start of winter session of assembly in Belagavi, there is much chaos in political circles with regard to the contentious anti-religious conversion bill.

BJP MLAs are pressuring the chief minister to present the bill in the winter session itself for approval. Sources say that the government is mulling submitting the bill before the committee formed to study and verify the proposed bill and present the same in the winter session.

Representaional image

However, the Congress has clearly stated that it will oppose the bill vehemently. KPCC president D K Shivakumar has said that the Congress will oppose the bill if it targets any community, warning the state government to not indulge in any 'misadventures' that may 'hurt the sentiments of any community'.

The committee meeting will take place next week under the leadership of law minister J C Madhuswamy. Once it is approved by the committee it will be moved in the cabinet meeting and tabled in the assembly.

In the midst of all this, it is learnt that BJP member Tulasi Muniraju Gowda has decided to propose a bill privately for prohibiting religious conversion.

The draft of the bill has been prepared by the home department after studying the religious conversion prohibition act that is in force in some states.

It is said that law minister Madhuswamy is hesitatant about implementing the bill in haste. The anti-religious conversion bill that is implemented by Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh governments has already been questioned in the court. Therefore, Madhuswamy is approaching this issue cautiously.

It is gathered that in the draft prepared by the home department, proposal has been made to enforce minimum one year to maximum 10 years of imprisonment for enticing Dalits and backward communities in the name of marriage.