Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that the state’s new freedom of religion law is Beti Bachao Abhiyan’s mission or save the daughter of his government. Chouhan said that no one will be able to convert anyone from one religion to another through marriage or “by any other fraudulent means seducing or intimidating anyone.” Chouhan held a meeting on Saturday to discuss the proposed law.
The proposed bill will be presented at the winter session of the Madhya Pradesh assembly, which is scheduled to start from December 28. The Governor of Uttar Pradesh gave his consent to the Uttar Pradesh Illegal Conversion of Religion Prohibition Ordinance, 2020, against forced or fraudulent religious conversions last month.
Here’s what Madhya Pradesh’s proposed freedom of religion law says:
1. Under Section 3 of the proposed law, no one may convert or attempt to convert, directly or otherwise, any other person, from one religion to another through the use or practice of misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion , seduction or by any fraudulent means or by marriage.
2. No person may attempt to instigate or conspire for religious conversion.
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3. If someone violates this section of the law, they will face a prison term of one to five years and a fine of not less than Rs 25,000.
4. In the case of forcing a minor or a woman of the tribe and recognized caste categories to convert, a prison sentence of two to ten years and a fine of up to Rs 50,000 are foreseen.
5. Attempting to conceal one’s religion is punishable by imprisonment of three to ten years and a fine of at least Rs 50,000.
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6. Imprisonment of five to ten years and a fine of at least Rs 100,000 are foreseen for attempting mass religious conversion (of two or more persons).
7. Blood relatives, including the parents of the victims of such religious conversion, can file a complaint.
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8. The crime will be recognizable, not subject to bail and may be prosecuted by the court of sessions. A police officer below the rank of deputy police inspector will not be able to investigate the case.
9. The accused will be obliged to prove that the conversion has not been carried out.
10. The marriage with the intention of conversion will be considered null and void.
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