MP Cabinet Passes Bill To Protect Religious Freedom, Forced Conversion Would Be Punishable

The Madhya Pradesh cabinet on the 26th of December, approved the Dharma Swatantrya (Religious Freedom) Bill 2020.

The bill was passed in a special Cabinet meeting chaired by Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh. The meeting was attended by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Ministers, virtually.

According to sources, this ordinance outlaws marriages with an aim of religious conversions.

Narottam Mishra, the State Home Minister, said, “Under the new Bill, forcing religious conversion on someone will attract 1-5 years of imprisonment and a minimum Rs. 25,000 fine.”

Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh (M.P.,) claimed his new bill aims to save daughters.

Mr. Chaouhan said this was his Government’s Beti Bachao Abhiyan or save the daughter mission.

According to the new bill, no one would be able to convert anyone from one religion to another through marriage or “any other fraudulent means by seducing or intimidating anyone.

The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister said, “Government belongs to everyone, all religions and castes. There is no discrimination but if someone tries to do anything disgusting with our daughters, then I’ll break you.”

The new bill came after the Uttar Pradesh Government’s UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020.

According to the Section 3 of the bill passed in Madhya Pradesh, anyone found guilty of abetment to religious conversion would face imprisonment of one to five years and a fine of not less than Rs. 25,000.

An attempt to hide one’s religion would be punishable by imprisonment of three to 10 years and a fine of at least Rs. 50,000.