BELAGAVI: The legislative assembly is all set to witness furore and tussle over the anti-conversion Bill on Thursday as the Speaker Vishveshwar Hegde Kageri announced today of allowing for a debate in the House exclusively on this contentious Bill which has been already tabled in the House from 10 am to 1.30 pm tomorrow.
Several legislators from the opposition Congress have some serious objections to several clauses in the Bill and are wondering if they would get a chance to voice their discontent. ``I have several objections to the Bill tabled in the assembly on Tuesday and keen to raise my points when the debate on it begins tomorrow. Most of the members from the opposition must be waiting for a chance and it remains to be seen whether I will be allowed to speak,'' said MLA Anjali Nimbalkar
KPCC President D K Shivakumar is expected to lead the opposition in objecting to the passing of the Bill as the leader has expressed serious objections to having such a Bill passed. He said the Bill was being passed for political gains and that there was no need for such a Bill when already there were laws to act against those indulging in religious conversion forcibly.
Opposition leader in legislative assembly, Siddaramaiah said his party opposed the Bill tooth and nail for it was being brought in the House with malafide intentions.
According to sources, the Congress members are expected to boycott the House before the Bill is passed tomorrow. However, it is interesting to see what stand the JDS members led by H D Kumaraswamy will adopt over the Bill. Some of its members have opposed the Bill but whether they would join the Congress in opposing it in tandem is a million dollar question.
On the other hand the BJP members are upbeat and confident of getting the bill through in the Assembly. While the BJP feels it is essential to bring such a Bill to prevent illegal conversion, many of its members rally behind the party in support of it.
Many in the Congress were desperately waiting to take on the ruling party in the Assembly in anticipation of a discussion on it today but decided against demanding it today when the Speaker had set aside the whole day for discussion on important issues of North Karnataka.
Soon after the Bill is passed in the legislative assembly as expected tomorrow afternoon, the discussion on North Karnataka development will resume.