BJP-ruled Haryana has become the third state in the country to pass a bill to prevent the conversion of religion either through forceful means or allurement. The Haryana Assembly passed the bill on March 22 amid protest from opposition benches which saw the Congress stage a walkout from the assembly against the bill. The Bill, introduced in the Assembly on March 4, puts the onus of proof on the accused. While BJP-ruled Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have already made forceful religious conversion a punishable offence, Karnataka is also readying to bring a similar bill in the assembly.
Why an anti-conversion bill in Haryana?
BJP leaders across the state have been alleging incidents of ‘Love-Jihad’ and forceful religious conversion. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said in the assembly that his government doesn’t have an issue if anyone converts by choice, but it stands against conversions done using allurement, force or threat. Sharing data, Khattar said that 127 FIRs were registered over complaints for forced religious conversion in six districts in the course of four years. Most of these complaints pertained to Yamunanagar, Panipat, Gurugram, Palwal and Faridabad districts. The Chief Minister said that the Bill aims to “instil fear” among those who commit the crime of forcible conversions.
Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who is the Leader of the Opposition, said existing laws already have a provision of punishment for forcible conversions and a new law is not required. He also asked the BJP leaders to get the law passed in Parliament first. However, Hooda made it clear that Congress does not support forcible conversions.
What are the provisions of the bill?
According to the Haryana Prevention of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2022, if conversion is done by allurement, use of force, coercion or fraudulent means, including the use of digital mode, there is a provision for imprisonment of one to five years and a fine of not less than Rs 1 lakh.
It also makes concealing religion for marriage a punishable offence, thus aiming to prevent ‘Love Jihad’. Anyone concealing his religion with the intention to marry shall be punished with imprisonment for a term not less than three years, which may extend to 10 years and shall be liable to fine, not less than Rs 3 lakh.
Mass conversion shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than five years, which may extend to 10 years and shall also be liable to pay a fine not less than Rs 4 lakh. The bill further prescribes imprisonment of 4-10 years and a fine not less than Rs 3 lakh for whoever converts or attempts to convert a minor, woman or a person belonging to the SC or ST using force, threat, undue influence, coercion or allurement. It also makes every offence committed under this Act cognisable, non-bailable and triable by a Sessions Court.
As per the Haryana Prevention of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2022, allurement means and includes any act of offering any temptation in the form of any gift or gratification or material benefits either in cash or kind or employment, education in a school run by any religious body, better lifestyle, divine pleasure or promise thereof.