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The Haryana government on Friday introduced a bill in the state assembly against religious conversion through force or fraud which triggered an uproar from the Opposition.
Speaker Gian Chand Gupta also suspended Congress MLA Raghuvir Singh Kadian for the remaining part of the budget session for tearing a copy of the bill in the House. The Congress members staged a walkout in protest against Kadian's suspension. Home minister Anil Vij introduced the Haryana Prevention of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2022, on the third day of the budget session. After the bill was presented, Kadian alleged that it reflects ''divisive policies''.
Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said there was no mention of any religion in the bill and it only talks about forcible conversions.
Congress members then rose from their seats, objecting to some remarks by Khattar. Kadian tore the copy of the bill, inviting the wrath of the Speaker. When Kadian said it was a simple paper, Gupta insisted that the bill was a legal document and asked the Congress member to express regret over his act, saying he will not allow such behaviour in the House. Gupta then suspended Kadian for the remaining part of the budget session.
The Haryana Prevention of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill prohibits religious conversions which are effected through misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means or by marriage by making it an offence. The bill provides for declaring marriages, which were done solely for the purpose of conversion from one religion to another religion, null and void.
Later, chief minister Khattar said The Haryana Prevention of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2022, which was reintroduced does not stop anyone who is willingly doing a conversion, provided that such person has to submit an application for willful conversion before the District Magistrate. He said that any religious priest or any person intending to organize a conversion shall give prior notice to the District Magistrate in advance giving information about the venue where such conversion is proposed to be organized. A copy of this notice shall be pasted on the notice board outside the District Magistrate’s office.
If any person has an objection to this conversion, then they can file their objection in writing within 30 days. The District Magistrate shall investigate and decide whether the conversion is intended to be in contravention of Section 3. If the District Magistrate comes to the conclusion that the intended conversion is in contravention of Section 3, then he shall decline the intended conversion by passing a reasoned order. An appeal can be made against the order passed by the District Magistrate before the Divisional Commissioner within 30 days.
If the conversion is done by allurement, use of force, or fraudulent means, coercion, then there is a provision of imprisonment of 1 year to 5 years and a fine of not less than Rs 1 lakh. If religion is concealed with the intention to marry, then the person shall be punished with imprisonment of 3 years to 10 years and shall also be liable to pay a fine which shall not be less than Rs. 3 lakh.
Whoever contravenes the provision of section 3 of this bill in respect of mass conversion shall be punished with the imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than five years, which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to pay a fine not less than Rs 4 lakh. If any institution or organization that violates any provisions of this Act, shall also be liable for punishment as provided under section 12 of this Act and the registration of that institution or organization will also be cancelled by the competent authority. Any offense committed under this Act shall be cognizable and non-bailable.
The Chief Minister said that many such cases have come to the notice of people in the state wherein the people of the state are being converted through various allurements and some of them were even forcibly converted. Besides this, there have also been cases where girls of other religions were married by misinterpreting their religion and such girls were forced to convert after marriage.
"Such incidents not only violate our religious freedom but also hurt the socio-religious fabric of society. To stop such incidents, The Haryana Prevention of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2022 has been introduced", said Khattar.
While terming the act of tearing of Bill by Congress members, especially by the former Speaker of the Assembly, Raghuvir Singh Kadian, the Chief Minister said that it was an insult to the legal document presented in the House and he has also violated the decorum and dignity of the House. He made it very clear that the matter pertaining to the members involved in such incidents would be referred to the Committee of Privileges, Vidhan Sabha.
He said that Section 3 of the said Bill makes it clear that no person shall convert or attempt to convert, either directly or otherwise, any other person from one religion to another by misrepresentation, use of force, threat, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by fraudulent means including the use of digital mode or by marriage or for marriage.