Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday said that it is necessary to either bring an ordinance to combat the threat of religious conversion or to introduce a Bill in this regard in the next Vidhan Sabha session.
“A bill in this regard was to be tabled in the budget session but the Legal Remembrancer had raised some objections over the draft hence it could not be tabled. Now, we will either bring an ordinance to combat the threat of religious conversion or introduce a Bill in the next Assembly Session,” the Chief Minister said while talking to the mediapersons after meeting BJP national president JP Nadda in New Delhi.
Khattar’s statement came a day after a fast-track court in Haryana’s Faridabad convicted two men in connection with the murder of Nikita Tomar, five months after she was shot outside her college in a crime caught on camera.
Tomar was killed in Ballabhgarh in Faridabad district on October 26 last year by Tausif, who had been pressuring her to marry him. Her murder case was linked to “love jihad”, a reference to right-wing allegations that love affairs and marriages are being used to fraudulently convert Hindu women.
Commenting on the case, the Chief Minister said that to ensure the safety of girls, crime against girls up to the age of 12 years old will be taken up by fast track courts. Similarly, cases pertaining to crime against women will be dealt with a stern hand, he said.
Khattar said that various important issues of the state were discussed during the meeting with JP Nadda. Discussions were held on the situation of farmers’ agitation and the arrangements made by the Haryana Government regarding containment of COVID – 19, he added.
When asked regarding the expansion of the Cabinet in Haryana, the Chief Minister said that he did not have any discussion with the BJP national president in this regard.
To another query regarding the construction of a film city in Haryana, he said that some land belonging to HMT in Pinjore has been identified for the film city. The film city will be like a base camp. Its development plan is being formulated and it will be set up within next 4-6 months, he added.