Setting the stage for clearance of the Karnataka Right to Freedom of Religion Bill, the Legislative Council on Thursday passed the controversial legislation by voice vote amidst vociferous protest and walkout from Congress members.
High drama prevailed before the passage of the Bill, popularly called the anti-conversion Bill, as the ruling BJP and Opposition members sparred while some key questions asked by the Congress went unanswered. Despite repeated questions on the number of cases registered since the Ordinance was promulgated in May, Home Minister Araga Jnanendra did not answer.
While Congress members were on their feet with doubts yet to be clarified by the treasury benches, Chairman Raghunath Rao Malkapure put the Bill to vote, enraging the Congress members. As the Bill was being cleared with the BJP having majority in the Upper House, several Congress members, including Leader of the Opposition B.K. Hariprasad, raised slogans and tore copies of the Bill before walking out of the House.
Earlier passed in Assembly
The Bill, which was passed in Legislative Assembly during the winter session in Belagavi in December, 2021, had not been cleared in the Upper House as the Opposition had protested its introduction at the last moment. The BJP, which did not have majority in the Council then, deferred its introduction twice early this year only to promulgate an Ordinance in May.
While the Council passed the Bill on Thursday, it will be introduced in the Legislative Assembly later during this session.
‘Hidden agenda’
During the over four hours of debate, sparks flew as the members from the Opposition and treasury benches engaged in arguments several times. The Law Minister and the Leader of Opposition were also involved in a heated debate as the Opposition charged the government with having a “hidden agenda” to bring in the legislation. Members also raised objection to the punishment prescribed and the burden of proof on the witness.
Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J.C. Madhuswamy, who was engaged in verbal exchanges with the Opposition benches, said that the Bill was not “anti-conversion bill”, but “a Bill to protect religions”, which was within the ambit of the Constitution. While the Congress member P.R. Ramesh pointed out that the Bill was against the 1977 Supreme Court order, the Law Minister justified, saying there had been no direction nor restriction from the court.
Defending the Bill, Mr. Jnanendra said that there was no hidden agenda nor vote bank politics involved, and argued that the Bill was originally proposed by the Congress during Siddaramaiah’s regime. He also said that the Bill only spoke about forced conversion and not against any religion.
Earlier, initiating the discussion Mr. Hariprasad said that the Bill was against the principles of the Constitution. “This will come under the ambit of Constitutional amendment and any debate pertaining to an amendment to the Constitution cannot not take place in this House. This should be debated in the Lok Sabha,” he added.
Population reduced
Pointing out that the minority population in the State had actually reduced compared to previous years, Mr. Hariprasad said: “If there were conversions, the population should have gone up. Show us how many cases have you booked against forced conversions.”
Intervening, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the government had taken steps to prevent forced conversion. “Religious practice is allowed under the Constitution. The Bill has been framed to prevent forced conversion. The country has a history of spiritual revolutions. Earlier Christian churches ruled. Now, they have lost control. We cannot allow terrorism in the name of religion,” he said.
