Karnataka's anti-conversion law weaponised for harassment, false cases, personal vendettas
Bengaluru: A recent report by The News Minute, reveals that Karnataka’s anti-conversion law is being used to harass citizens, often for personal grudges or in the guise of protecting religious sentiments. Numerous individuals, including those from marginalised backgrounds, claim false accusations of religious conversion have been levelled against them, masking caste discrimination or personal vendettas.
One such case is of Somanna (name changed), a Dalit resident of Haveri district. He has been attending court almost monthly for over a year due to a complaint filed against him in February 2023, accusing him of converting people to Christianity. However, he alleges the true issue was caste-based hostility in his village, Balambida, where he had faced discrimination for teaching local children from different castes. The anti-conversion accusation, he claims, was used to disguise casteist abuse after he refused to stop the Sunday prayer meetings he hosted.
Introduced by the BJP in December 2021, Karnataka's anti-conversion law, The Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Act, criminalises conversions allegedly induced through "allurement" or "temptations." Critics, including legal experts, argue that the law’s ambiguous language makes it susceptible to misuse.
Between May 2022 and June 2024, 30 cases under the anti-conversion law have been reported across Karnataka, according to the State Crime Records Bureau. Although the Congress government pledged to repeal the law after assuming power, it later deferred the decision, citing the impending Lok Sabha elections.
Reports show that 21 cases were filed under the BJP-led government, with nine additional cases occurring post the Congress takeover in May 2023. Interviews by ‘The New Minute’, with several of the accused and legal professionals suggest that the law is frequently wielded as a weapon of harassment rather than protection.
In another case from Bengaluru, a complaint was filed in October 2022 against an interfaith couple. The woman’s mother accused her daughter’s partner, Suhail (name changed), of coercing her daughter into conversion. The woman, however, denied these claims and has openly defended her relationship, challenging her mother’s allegations.
Other incidents highlight similar misuse. In Vijayapura district, Ganga (name changed), an ASHA worker, was terminated after community members accused her of attempting conversions. Harassment in her village escalated, with locals even cutting off her water and electricity supply. Despite a favourable High Court order reinstating her, her return to work has been marked by ongoing intimidation.
The misuse of Karnataka's anti-conversion law reflects historical debates on religious freedom, a topic heavily discussed in the Constituent Assembly while framing Article 25. Proponents of the right to propagate cited the freedom to share one’s faith, while others expressed concern about potential abuses of influence. Despite this, the right to propagate remains enshrined in India’s Constitution, though anti-conversion laws, including Karnataka’s, restrict this under claims of “inducement.”
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'Kuch nahi bachta hai': Rahul Gandhi visits local barber for a trim and his story
New Delhi, Oct 25: Hard-working poor people have been robbed of their dreams due to falling incomes and rising inflation, and new schemes that will allow them to take home savings are needed, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said on Friday as he interacted with a barber at a shop here.
Gandhi shared a video on X of his visit to the barber shop in Uttam Nagar's Prajapat Colony. He was seen in the clip enquiring about the barber's problems while getting his beard trimmed.
"'There is nothing left!' These four words of Ajit Bhai and his tears tell the story of every hard-working poor and middle-class person of India today. From barbers to cobblers, potters to carpenters -- falling incomes and rising inflation have robbed the working class of their dreams of having their own shops, houses and even self-respect," the former Congress president said in his post.
What is needed now are modern solutions and new schemes that will increase incomes and bring back savings, Gandhi said.
There is a need for a society where talent gets its due and every step of hard work takes you up the ladder of success, the former Congress chief said.
The Congress also posted a video of the interaction on its X handle.
"Today Jananayak Rahul Gandhi ji got a shave at Ajit ji's shop in Delhi and understood the struggles of his life," the party said on X.
Since his Kanyakumari to Kashmir Bharat Jodo Yatra and his Manipur to Mumbai Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, Gandhi has been interacting with a cross-section of people from mechanics and cobblers to labourers and bus drivers.
He often posts videos of his numerous interactions and highlights the plight of various sections of society.
"कुछ नहीं बचता है!"
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 25, 2024
अजीत भाई के ये चार शब्द और उनके आसूं आज भारत के हर मेहनतकश गरीब और मध्यमवर्गीय की कहानी बयां कर रहे हैं।
नाई से लेकर मोची, कुम्हार से लेकर बढ़ई - घटती आमदनी और बढ़ती महंगाई ने हाथ से काम करने वालों से अपनी दुकान, अपना मकान और स्वाभिमान तक के अरमान छीन लिए… pic.twitter.com/1gYGdui2ll
