Karnataka: Media stopped from entering Assembly ahead of discussion on anti-conversion Bill

Journalists were stopped from entering the Karnataka Assembly before the debate on the state’s anti-conversion Bill on Wednesday, reported The Indian Express.

On Wednesday morning, Assembly officials told the journalists that Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri had directed to not let them inside the House. They did not give a reason for the decision. However, Hegde said that he had not given any such directions.

The Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill, 2021, was tabled in the Assembly on Tuesday amid protests from the Opposition. The state Cabinet had approved the Bill on Monday.

The draft Bill proposes maximum punishment of a jail term of 10 years for forcible religious conversion of women, minors and people from the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes. It says that “conversion from one religion to another by misrepresentation, force, fraud, undue influence, coercion, allurement or marriage’’ is prohibited.

The journalists were later allowed to enter the Assembly building, but the discussion on the Bill did not take place on Wednesday.

In the Assembly, Congress leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that the matters related to north Karnataka should be given priority and the draft anti-conversion Bill can be discussed on other days. He asked the Speaker to extend the session by a few more days to discuss…

Read more