CHANDIGARH: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday said the anti-conversion Bill introduced by his government in the Vidhan Sabha aimed at maintaining communal harmony and not to divide society.
The state government on Friday introduced the Haryana Prevention of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2022, against religious conversion through force, undue influence or allurement, triggering vociferous opposition from the Congress.
"In the past a few days, many incidents have been reported in Yamunanagar, Panipat, Faridabad, Gurugram and Nuh, wherein forced conversions were done by allurement, fake promises of taking abroad, expanding business and running away from home. Such incidents have become a matter of great concern," said the CM in a statement here.
"FIRs have also been registered in many cases. Such incidents are happening all over the country and different states have made their own laws to stop such incidents," said Khattar.
He said the Bill does not bar a person from willful conversion, provided that such person has to submit an application before the District Magistrate one month in advance.
Although the provisions in the Indian Penal Code too call for action against those involved in forced conversion, this does not provide complete solution to this problem, hence enactment of this law is the need of the hour, asserted Khattar.
If any complaint is received in older cases, then action will be taken in that as well, he said.
The Bill prohibits religious conversions which are effected through misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means, marriage or for marriage.
The Bill provides for declaring marriages, which were done solely for the purpose of conversion from one religion to another religion, null and void.
On students in Ukraine, Khattar said till now 1,815 students of Haryana have been identified.
So far 1,014 students have returned and 123 students are stuck in different cities of Ukraine.
Besides, 599 students have reached Poland, Hungary and Slovakia borders and 20 students from Haryana are about to reach, he added.