Haryana Government Passes Anti-Conversion Bill, Congress Stages Walkout
The fine includes imprisonment of up to five years and a fine of less than one lakh rupees
Mumbai: Haryana Assembly on Tuesday passed the Haryana Prevention of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2022 amid protest by Congress leaders who staged a walkout
As reported in the Indian Express, according to the law, the onus of presenting proof lies with the accused, and if it is found that the conversion is done by “allurement, use of force, or fraudulent means of coercion.”
The fine includes imprisonment of up to five years and a fine of less than one lakh rupees.
On Tuesday, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said that 127 cases of conversion were reported in the last four years, which is “a big problem”, ANI reported.
“We have passed the Prevention of Unlawful Conversions Bill; 127 cases registered in last 4 years… Conversion of religion is a big problem. If by choice, one can change their religion by law, but the act has been passed for unlawful conversions,” he stated.
The state government had introduced the Prevention of Illegal Conversions Bill in the assembly and on March 4, the opposition’s ruckus started.
The Indian Express reported that while arguing in support of the anti-conversion bill, CM Khattar had said that the bill does not discriminate against any religion and is only to prevent “forced conversions”.
However, the introduction of the bill did not go down well with the Opposition MLAs, who called it “unconstitutional.”
Ten states in India – Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Odisha – have passed laws to prevent forcible religious conversions.
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