Forced conversion may invite a 10-year jail sentence in Karnataka

The Karnataka state government is planning to enact a law to prevent religious conversion in the state. A proposed draft bill, known as the Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill 2021, is expected to be introduced by the state government in the ongoing winter session of the state assembly.

One of the features of the bill is that if any person will try and force any other person from Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe communities, minors and women to another religion, he will be sentenced to 10 years in jail.

The state government is exploring all legal angles and views before it will table the bill in the assembly. It is taking legal opinion and discussing with various stakeholders so that the legislation will be a valid piece of law.

Such laws are often challenged in judicial forums so the government doesn’t want to leave any legal loophole. The makers of the bill have gone through similar legal provisions in other states and the court judgements to make it foolproof and rationale.

According to the reports. The 10-year jail term is something on which there seems to be a difference of opinion as a section of experts believe that it is too stringent.

On the other hand, another view says that harsh punishment will deter people to get into all these kinds of activities of religious conversions.

It is also argued that BJP, which is the ruling party in the state, has also kept in the mind the assembly election in the state in 2023 and it is due to that intent, it is trying to push the bill in the assembly.