The Maharashtra assembly on Friday admitted a private member bill by
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Atul Bhatkhalkar, seeking an
anti-conversion law in the state.
The bill was tabled amidst pandemonium by ruling party and Opposition members, exchanging allegations and slogans.
Bhatkhalkar, who moved the bill, said, "There are various states
including Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat where such a law has been
enacted and court rulings in such cases have said that the state is
within its rights to make such laws.”
Bhatkhalkar said there were several places even in Maharashtra, where
conversions were being carried out forcibly or by offering bribes and
so it was essential for the state to enact an anti-conversion law. The
bill calls for imprisonment and a penalty against those who convert
forcibly. The amount of penalty and the term of the imprisonment had not
been specified.
After Bhatkhalkar mooted the bill, fellow legislator and Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP) city chief Ashish Shelar moved a note of dissent. He
said he does not think there are instances in the state where conversion
is carried out forcibly.
The bill was, however, taken on record. The BJP, while in the Opposition, was keen on getting an anti-conversion law enacted.
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