The Haryana Assembly passed the on Tuesday, despite protests and a walkout by the Congress. The Bill aims to prevent religious conversions through force, undue influence, or allurement. However, former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda expressed concerns that the law could lead to an increase in domestic disputes in cases of inter-religious marriages.
According to the Bill, the burden of proof lies with the accused. If conversion is done through allurement, force, fraudulent means, or coercion, there is a provision for imprisonment of one to five years and a fine of not less than Rs 1 lakh. Similar Bills have been passed in other states including Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
The Congress opposition labeled the legislation as a political agenda, warning that it would deepen communal divide. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Khattar stated that the Bill is aimed at instilling fear among those who commit crimes.
The Bill was tabled in the Assembly on March 4 and was taken up for consideration on Tuesday. Congress MLA Raghuvir Singh Kadian criticized the Bill, saying it smacks of divisive politics and is not in the interest of future generations. He urged the government to refer the Bill to the Select Committee of Vidhan Sabha for examination.
In response, Khattar emphasized that while a person can change religion by free will, forced conversion will not be allowed. He stated that the purpose of the Bill is to control forced religious conversion.
Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda argued against the need for a new law, stating that there are already provisions to deal with cases of forcible conversions. He also raised concerns about potential disputes in families with inter-religious marriages, suggesting a provision to prevent complaints after a certain period of marriage.
Congress’s Kiran Choudhry criticized the Bill as “scary” and alleged that it would deepen communal divide and violate personal domain and the Constitution. She warned that it would have long-term ramifications.
