Congress will scrap anti-conversion law if voted to power: Siddaramaiah

The bill is awaiting clearance from the Legislative Council

Karnataka Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah on Monday said the Congress, if voted to power, will revoke the anti-conversion law that the BJP government wants to introduce in the state.

“Once we come to power, let there be no doubt that we will revoke the anti-conversion law within a week or in the first session of the legislature,” Siddaramaiah told reporters.

The Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill was passed in the Legislative Assembly and is awaiting clearance from the Legislative Council.

“The only intention behind the law is to polarize voters and emotionally mislead them away from burning issues like unemployment, corruption, hunger and poverty,” the Congress leader said, adding that IPC Section 295 is enough to curb ‘forced’ religious conversion.

The former chief minister also clarified that the Congress government did not go ahead with the draft of the Anti-conversion Bill, countering the BJP’s claim during the recent Assembly session.

“The law commission then prepared a draft. In 2015, I did sign the file asking the draft to be placed before the Cabinet. Later, when the file went to social welfare minister H Anjaneya, I asked him to reject the draft and got the file closed. The BJP is filled with liars,” he said.

It was the BJP government, in 2009, that initiated the process of this law based on a petition by RSS-linked leaders. “Former chief minister BS Yediyurappa had admitted that it was his government that took it up. And, RDPR minister KS Eshwarappa admitted that the law was brought at the behest of the RSS. So, what role could we have played,” he asked.

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