Karnataka Opposition Slams BJP As Assembly Passes Anti-Conversion Bill

Facing stiff opposition from the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular), the ruling BJP in Karnataka today took up for discussion The Karnataka Right to Freedom of Religion Bill, 2021, commonly referred to as the anti-conversion Bill. The assembly passed the bill by voice vote amid loud opposition.

J. C. Madhu Swamy, Minister for Law in the state, denies allegations that the government's intent with the contentious new bill was to victimise the Christian community. The minister claimed the bill was brought in to protect all religions from illegal conversions, and also suggested that the state has data to support its claims.

"This bill is framed to protect all religions. This is not about the majority or minority community. If anyone wants to convert to another religion, it has to be voluntary and he has to give application to the district collector and get himself converted," the minister told NDTV. Any forcible conversion from any community will be punishable, he added. 

Amid fierce debate in the state assembly, the law minister pointed out that the bill was initiated by the Congress under Siddaramaiah, former chief minister of the state.

Siddaramaiah, leader of the opposition in the state assembly, argued today that "nobody has converted for allurement". Countering claims of a growing Christian population in the state, he pointed to Census figures from 2001 and 2011. The state had 83.86% Hindus, 12.3% Muslims and 1.91% Christians in 2001 and 84% Hindus, 12.92% Muslims and 1.87% Christians in 2011 according to official data, he said. "Where is the question of declining Hindu population? The Christian population has declined," the former chief minister added.

On what prompted drafting this now highly contentious bill, Mr Swamy says it's based on data and is for public protection. "We are bringing the bill because all these provisions are envisaged in the Constitution, but there is no punishment. It says that it is an offence. It is an illegal activity," he said, suggesting that the bill merely gives the state power to prosecute on what is already classified as illegal in the Constitution. 

The bill has been criticised for harsh penalties for violating the proposed law, which includes a jail term of three to five years and a fine of Rs 25,000 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. "It depends on the degree of the offence. If you voluntarily convert, there is no punishment and you are free to convert. What we require is for everyone to follow the procedure to convert, the state law minister said. 

Responding to attacks from the opposition that the bill is communal and politically motivated, Mr Swamy said it was a "wrong assumption". 

"We are not targeting any community here. There are conversions from Islam to Christianity, Christianity to some other religion and nowadays, we also have Hindu organisations converting Christians to Hinduism. So, we are not targeting any religion," he said. 

Suggesting that people from Schedule Castes and Scheduled Tribes are vulnerable to forced conversion, Basavaraj Bommai, chief minister of the state argued in the assembly that the SC and ST population needed "extra protection cover". 

"Is it wrong for us to penalise those who are taking advantage of the illiteracy of women and trying to convert them with allurement?" he said today.

The law minister, dismissing concerns that fringe elements might try to use the proposed law as a tool to harass people, said that the state has not framed it that way. "It will be only his relatives, or kin and kith who can file a complaint or his colleagues can complain," he said.

He further said that the state will not entertain motivated complaints from fringe elements. "The bill clearly mentions colleagues because if someone was entitled to some benefits under scheduled caste or under some reservation category, and if he converts to another religion then he will lose his benefits. From the time of conversion, he is not entitled to the benefits. If he continues to enjoy benefits even after converting, his colleagues can complain. He may be in government service, if he takes advantage of getting a promotion in the job even after conversion, colleagues have every right to complain," the minister clarified.

Hosadurga BJP MLA Gulihatti Chandrashekar had alleged on the floor of the house in October that nearly 20,000 people in his constituency had converted to Christianity. He claimed that his mother was one of them. This was one of the major triggers for the church survey in the state, leading to allegations of forced conversions, a rise in attacks on churches, and becoming a hot topic of discussion in the cabinet.

Siddaramaiah pointed to this allegation in the assembly and asked if Mr Chandrashekhar had filed a formal complaint and if anyone was arrested in the case.

The Archbishop of Bengaluru and the Christian community in the state have opposed the bill as they say it victimises the minority community and violates the freedom of religion. 

Congress MLA K.J. George also expressed concerns about the repercussions of the bill in the assembly today, saying "moral policing" has started in the state. He mentioned several recent attacks on churches and said some people were trying to disturb the peace. He pleaded to the speaker that the bill would cause communal disharmony.