The Congress-led government in Karnataka on Thursday announced to amend the Anti-Conversion Law as promised in its manifesto before the elections to the Assembly.
The announcement was made after the cabinet meeting in Vidhana Soudha. Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil said the Cabinet has decided to amend the Anti-Conversion Law.
"All the aspects introduced by the previous BJP government would be dropped. The act will be taken up for amendment in the Assembly session, scheduled to be held in July," Patil said.
The BJP has imposed stringent conditions on religious conversions. It had also prescribed stringent punishment for the offence.
Patil said the government would cancel the Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill, 2021 and introduce the the Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill, 2023.
When asked about whether the previous bill is repealed, Patil said it is to undo the 2022 amendment. "It is to repeal the changes made to the law by the previous government," he said.
In the Congress' poll manifesto, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar had promised to repeal all the acts enacted by the BJP government once the party comes to power in the state.
The BJP government has passed the controversial Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill, 2021 popularly known as Anti-Conversion bill in the state was passed in the Legislative Assembly in Suvarna Vidhana Soudha at Belagavi on December 21, 2021.
Under the act, all legal entities, educational institutions, orphanages, old age homes, hospitals, religious missionaries, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) were brought under the purview of institutions. The offence is made to be non-bailable and cognisable offence.
(With inputs from IANS)
