Chhattisgarh passes Freedom of Religion Bill amid Opposition walkout

Raipur | Correspondent: The Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Bill was passed in Chhattisgarh on Thursday. Immediately after the bill was passed, BJP legislators in the House raised slogans of "Jai Shri Ram."

State Home Minister Vijay Sharma introduced the 'Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Bill' in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday, a move that immediately heated up the political atmosphere. The government asserts that the objective of this bill is to curb religious conversions carried out through coercion, inducement, fraud, or misleading information.

Following a discussion on the bill, the process for its passage was set to proceed; however, the opposition had voiced strong objections to it right from the outset. Consequently, the bill was passed in the absence of the opposition.

As soon as the bill was introduced on Thursday, Leader of the Opposition Charan Das Mahant raised objections, characterizing it as a hasty move. He argued that similar laws are already in force in several states across the country and that the matter is currently sub judice before the Supreme Court; therefore, he contended, it would be inappropriate to pass the bill without thorough deliberation.

Mahant proposed that the bill be referred to a Select Committee, where it could undergo detailed scrutiny and deliberation. He further suggested that the views of former judges and representatives from all political parties be incorporated into the process to ensure that no decision is taken that could exacerbate social divisions.

Despite the opposition's objections, Dharamlal Kaushik-who was presiding over the House proceedings-granted permission for the bill to be introduced. In protest against this decision, Congress legislators staged a walkout and boycotted the entire day's proceedings. Responding sharply to this move, Home Minister Vijay Sharma remarked that this was not merely a "walkout," but rather "the opposition running away."

The Ruling Party's Stance

Dismissing the opposition's allegations, BJP legislator Ajay Chandrakar pointed out that a similar law had been enacted in Madhya Pradesh even when the Congress party was in power there. He characterized the opposition's stance as purely political dissent.

Meanwhile, Vijay Sharma clarified that the Constitution empowers state governments to enact such laws and that the Supreme Court has not imposed any stay on this matter. He affirmed that the bill had been introduced only after extensive preparation and thorough deliberation. During the Zero Hour of the House proceedings, the Opposition moved an adjournment motion regarding the issue of SIR (Voter List Revision). The Leader of the Opposition claimed that the names of approximately 1.9 million voters had been removed from the electoral rolls in the state. Responding to this, Ajay Chandrakar characterized the matter not as an issue of public interest, but rather as a purely electoral issue. This sparked a heated debate and uproar in the House, following which the Opposition staged a walkout.

Additionally, issues such as the facilities provided to gallantry medal recipients and the shortage of doctors in government hospitals were also discussed. BJP MLA Sunil Soni raised the issue of the doctor shortage at the Bhathagaon Health Center in Raipur. He pointed out that despite five posts being sanctioned, only one doctor was currently present. Responding in a lighthearted manner, Ajay Chandrakar quipped that the remaining doctors had gone to watch the film *Dhurandhar Part-2*, a remark that elicited laughter in the House for a brief moment.

According to the government, this new bill has been introduced with the objective of further strengthening the existing Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Act, 1968. This law was adopted from Madhya Pradesh following the formation of the state. The new proposal also encompasses religious conversions facilitated through digital mediums and economic inducements.

Protest on the Streets

Protests against this bill were also witnessed outside the Legislative Assembly. Amit Jogi, the State President of the Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J), staged a protest in front of the Lok Bhawan by burning a copy of the bill. He urged the Governor to withhold assent to the bill and to send it back to the Legislative Assembly.

Amit Jogi accused the government of introducing the bill on the final day of the session specifically to deny legislators adequate time to properly read and comprehend it. He described this move as a sign of the government's haste and apprehension.

Jogi asserted that the Constitution applies equally to all citizens and that this bill could potentially infringe upon people's fundamental rights. According to him, the definition of 'inducement' within the bill has been kept excessively broad, to the extent that it encompasses basic amenities such as education, healthcare, and social services.

He further alleged that this could create a risk of religious activities themselves being categorized as criminal offenses.