Bangalore: The Karnataka Legislative Assembly has passed the Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill, 2021, also known as the Anti-Conversion Bill. The bill was passed with a resounding vote amid strong protests from the main opposition Congress. The Janata Dal also opposed the bill. The Congress described the bill as cruel and inhumane, accusing it of targeting a particular section of the society.

The anti-conversion bill was introduced in Karnataka following the example of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. For a bill to become a law, it must be passed in the Legislative Council. The BJP has enough strength in the Assembly to pass the Bill but may face a roadblock in the Legislative Council where the combined Opposition has more numbers, and where JD(S) member is the chairman.

Under the Prohibition of Conversion Act in Karnataka, conversion with the promise of marriage is also a crime. The draft also states that marriages aimed at conversion will be annulled.

“Any marriage which was done for sole purpose of unlawful conversion or vice-versa which was done by the man of one religion with the woman of another religion either by converting himself before or after the marriage or by converting the woman before or after marriage shall be declared as null and void by the family court or, where the family court is not established, the court with jurisdiction to try such a case on a petition filed by either party thereto against the other party to marriage,” it states.

It is also a crime to be attracted to religion by promising free education, employment or better living conditions in schools run by religious organizations.

The law is called the Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Act 2021. It is expected to be tabled in the council on Monday. The draft states that the law is intended to protect religious freedom, to prevent misconceptions, coercion, pressure, hypocrisy, and marriage.

According to the proposed law, complaints regarding conversions can be filed by family members or colleagues or anyone related to the person who is getting converted. A jail term of three to five years and a fine of Rs 25,000 has been proposed for violators in the case of people from general categories, and a jail term of three to 10 years, and a fine of Rs 50,000 for those converting minors, women or persons from SC/ST communities.

Mysore Bishop KA Williams has said that a group of 14 bishops will take up the action against the Protection of Right to Freedom Bill passed by the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. The Christian community, which does a lot of volunteering, does not force anyone to convert. There is a legal system in place to punish those found guilty of forced conversion. He said there was no need for a new law for this.

Under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Peter Machado, Metropolitan Archbishop of Bengaluru, President of Karnataka Regional Catholic Bishops Council (KRCBC) and All Karnataka United Forum for Christian Human Rights, various Christian groups and human rights groups have protested against this bill.