Raipur, India - Gubernatorial assent to Chhattisgarh’s controversial Anti-Conversion Bill has further been delayed with Governor E S L Narasimhan asking for the legal opinion of the Attorney General of India in the matter. Official sources said the Bill has been sent to Attorney General of India Milon Banerjee for clarification on a provision stating if someone is reconverted to the religion followed by his father or grandfather, it would not be treated as a conversion case.
When contacted, Secretary to the Governor P C Dalai neither confirmed nor denied that Narasimhan had sought clarification on certain provisions in Chhattisgarh’s Anti-Conversion Bill.
Last year, the state Assembly had approved the Chhattisgarh Religious Freedom (Amendment) Bill 2006, which has a provision to “penalise those who change their faith without informing authorities”.
The clarification sought by the Governor assumes significance as the state prepares for Assembly polls and possibly the Lok Sabha polls.
“The delay in getting the Governor’s assent for the Bill has put the BJP Government in a spot, as it has promised in its poll manifesto that the party would stop conversions in tribal-dominated state by enacting a law,” sources added.
In the past too, the controversial Bill has been a cause for concern for the BJP Government with Narasimhan’s predecessor K M Seth also delaying his assent to the Bill, which has been strongly opposed by the state’s minority communities.
Legislative Affairs Minister Ajay Chandrakar confirmed that the Bill, which was passed by the Chhattisgarh Assembly in mid-2006, is yet to receive the Governor’s assent. “However, I will not be able to specify the nature of clarification sought by the Governor,” Chandrakar added.
The move to strengthen Chhattisgarh’s Anti-Conversion law followed claims by several Hindu Rightist organisations of increasing conversions to Christianity in the tribal areas of the state.
According to the Bill, those wishing to change their religion must inform the District Magistrate about it a month in advance. A penalty for those violating the law, including those who convert people forcibly, would range from Rs 50,000 to 100,000 and imprisonment of upto five years.
While passing the Bill, the BJP Government had maintained that the law was not against the provisions laid down in the Constitution.
Party sources said the introduction of an “Anti-Conversion law” was explicitly requested by BJP President Rajnath Singh, who had reportedly ordered all state governments, where the party is in majority, to bring in a “legislation that would ensure punishing of people involved in forceful conversions”.