The anti-conversion law enacted by the state’s previous BJP administration was repealed, the Karnataka cabinet declared on Thursday. A measure in this regard would be introduced during the upcoming legislature session in July by the Karnataka government, which is led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
‘The Cabinet discussed the anti-conversion bill. We have approved the bill to repeal the changes that were brought in by them (BJP government) in 2022. It will be tabled during the session starting from July 3,’ stated H K Patil, Minister of Law and Parliamentary Affairs.
The Karnataka Legislative Assembly approved the Bill in December 2021 with the goal of banning conversion through ‘allurement,’ ‘coercion,’ ‘force,’ ‘fraudulent means,’ as well as ‘mass conversion.’ The government subsequently made the decision to introduce an ordinance to implement the measure. On May 17, 2022, Karnataka Governor Thawarchand Gehlot approved the ordinance. The Assembly was then obligated to ratify it within six months, after which it would no longer be in force.
In order to replace the ordinance that was in force and that the Legislative Council had approved, the Bill was introduced in September. MLAs from the Congress and prominent members of the Christian community both strongly opposed the bill.
The anti-conversion statute will now be repealed, according to the state’s newly elected Congress, which took office in May of this year with a simple majority.
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