Religious structures protection bill cleared
The Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government on Tuesday managed the passage of the Karnataka Religious Structures (Protection) Bill, 2021, just one day after it was proposed and then tabled in the Lower House of the ongoing monsoon session of the state legislature. The bill, which will now be tabled in the Upper House, was passed amid clamour within the assembly legislators across the aisle, including the BJP, sought to get clarifications on the scope of the bill and its intent to protect religious structures from being demolished as per the 2009 Supreme Court order. The bill primarily provides protection to all religious structures that came up on public land before commencement of the law. It means that the authorities would not be able to demolish religious structures on public land unless there is a specific court order for demolition of a religious structure, reading of the bill shows.
BENGALURU: The Karnataka legislative assembly on Tuesday passed the Karnataka Religious Structures (Protection) Bill, which seeks to protect religious structures from demolition.
The Bill, which was tabled on Monday and will now be presented in the upper house of state legislature, provides protection to all religious structures that came up on public land before commencement of the law. It means the authorities will not be able to demolish religious structures on public land unless there is a specific court order for demolition of a religious structure, reading of the Bill shows.
The Basavaraj Bommai-led
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government introduced the Bill on Monday after it came under attack from within the party as well as Opposition Congress and various pro-hindu organisations following the demolition of a temple at Nanjangud in Mysuru a few days ago.
JC Madhuswamy, Karnataka’s minister for parliamentary affairs, said that structures of all religions will come under the ambit of this new Bill. “There was lacuna and to fill it up we have brought this (bill),” Madhuswamy said, reacting to allegations over the government’s inability to stop the demolition of a temple in Nanjangud of Mysuru district on September 12.
The Bill comes days after a video of a temple in Nanjangud being torn down by an earth mover went viral on social media with Mysuru-kodagu MP Prathap Simha raising the issue to target authorities who were carrying out the drive with no consultations.
During the discussion, leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah questioned how the temple was demolished without the government’s knowledge and sought to know why no action would be taken against the district officials for carrying out the act.
“You are saying that from now on no temple should be demolished but what about the ones (demolished) earlier? You are bringing this bill because the Hindu Jagrana Vedike and Hindu Mahasabha pressurised you and the government got scared,” he said.
Chief minister Bommai clarified that the government had no role in the temple demolition in Nanjangud. “Let there be no confusion. We (government) did not order demolition,” Bommai said.
Assembly passes Bill against online gaming
The Karnataka legislative assembly on Tuesday also passed the Karnataka Police (Amendment) Bill, 2021, intended to curb gaming through internet or mobile applications. Karnataka’s home minister Araga Jnanendra tabled the Bill in the assembly on Friday during the ongoing monsoon session of the state legislature. The Bill also enhances the punishment for gaming for the orderly conduct of citizens and to wean them away from the vice of gambling.