In a deft move ahead of Assembly elections in Gujarat, Governor Nawal Kishore Sharma returned the Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) 2006 Bill citing that the Bill was not in conformity with the Indian Constitution and recommending changes in the Bill.
The timing of the move by the Governor with elections likely before the turn of the year 2007, has come as a huge embarrassment to the Modi government that had always propagated the passing of the Bill in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly as a huge achievement while reinforcing its Hindutva credentials.
The Gujarat government had enacted the Freedom of Religion Act 2003 that forbade any conversions through force, allurements or fraudulent means.
The Governor took exception against the concept of “convert” as defined under Section 2(b) of the Constitution.
The new Section 2(b) as per the Amendment Bill stated that the renouncement of one denomination of a religion to another would not be considered as forceful or inappropriate religious conversions.