Anti-conversion bill tabled in K’taka assembly, Shivakumar tears its copy

JANATA DAL (SECULAR) (JDS) HD KUMARASWAMY EARLIER SAID THAT HIS PARTY WON’T SUPPORT THE BILL IN STATE ASSEMBLY

BELAGAVI: The Basvaraj Bommai-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Karnataka on Tuesday tabled the controversial bill on anti-conversion in the ongoing winter session of the state legislature in Belagavi, triggering heated exchanges between the ruling and the principal opposition party, Congress.

The speaker, Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, put the tabling of the bill by Home Minister Araga Jnanendra to a vote even when the Congress were yet to return from the lunch break, prompting angry reactions by the opposition.

The Congress objected to tabling the bill, titled “Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Act, 2021”, with party president DK Shivakumar tearing up the document on the floor of the house.

“This bill has been brought in with malafide intentions,” Siddaramaiah, the leader of the opposition said, calling it a violation of basic human rights.

Kageri said that the bill will be taken up for discussion on Wednesday but the Congress appeared defiant of the tabling of the proposed law, staging a walk out eventually.

The heated exchanges between the ruling and principal opposition party comes even as protests against the bill gains steam across Karnataka. The proposal was first made over two months ago by the Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government during the monsoon session of the state legislature in September.

The BJP tried to reason the intent of the bill only to be shouted over by the Congress.

KS Eshwarappa, Karnataka’s minister of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj and senior BJP leader, said that the Congress was trying to appease the Muslim and Christian communities as part of its vote-bank politics.

“As soon as the Revenue minister started speaking, the Congress agreed. But then three Congress legislators spoke among themselves and said that we have to satisfy Muslims and Christians and then walked out,” Eshwarappa said.

“They do not want North Karnataka. They want conversion from Hindus to Muslims and Christians and want to make India like Pakistan where the percentage of population (Hindus) has come down from 24% to 3%,” he added.