BELAGAVI: Amid ruckus in the Legislative Assembly with opposition members raising objections, the contentious anti-conversion Bill was tabled hastily at the ongoing winter session of the state legislature at Suvarna Vidhan Soudha on Tuesday.
A furious KPCC president and MLA DK Shivakumar tore a copy of the bill and threw at the treasury benches, saying this piece of legislation is anti-people. Even as opposition members staged a walkout after a long-drawn verbal duel with ruling party members against the tabling of the Bill, Speaker Vishveshwar Hegde Kageri said that a debate on the Bill will be held on Wednesday.
The Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill 2021 has come under severe criticism from different quarters, mainly Congress and various Christian organisations and dioceses in the state. Assembly Opposition Leader Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar said the Bill is discriminatory and against the Constitution. Amid uproar over the Bill being introduced even before all members of the Assembly entered the hall for the second half of the session, Siddaramaiah said, “The Bill has been tabled in a hurry with malafide intention. Why did the Speaker not wait for all members of the Opposition to be present before the Bill was tabled?”
Other opposition leaders too objected, saying the Bill was being introduced surreptitiously, while all the members could have been informed about it. JDS MLA Bandeppa Kashempur said, “The Business Advisory Committee (BAC) has so far not discussed tabling of this Bill. BAC did throw light on all other bills, except the anti-conversion Bill.”
Law Minister JC Madhuswamy and Home Minister Araga Jnanendra, while arguing with Siddaramaiah, said the BJP government had clarified and made it public that this Bill would be tabled. Allegations of Opposition members that it was introduced without anyone’s notice is false, they added.
Discussion will be held today: Kageri
KAGERI said rules of the House have been followed while introducing the Bill and discussions will be held on Wednesday before its passage. “The idea is to give ample time to the opposition and ruling party members to read the Bill before debating on it. That is why I want the discussion on Wednesday,” he said, responding to Siddaramaiah, who wanted to know why a debate could not be held on Tuesday itself.
Opposition members wondered whether the discussion is possible on Wednesday as the Speaker has set aside the next two days for discussing issues related to North Karnataka. But Kageri clarified that he would draw up a fresh agenda including the debate on this Bill.
Sources from Opposition benches said they would raise the heat on the Bill and also stage a dharna. Ruling party members, however, indicated that when opposition legislators boycott the debate as expected, the Bill would be passed.
HIGHLIGHTS
The Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Act 2021, or anti-conversion Bill, prohibits “unlawful” conversions from one religion to another by misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means.