BANGALORE:  The newly elected Karnataka Cabinet on Thursday made the decision to drop the Bharatiya Janata Party's anti-conversion Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill, 2022.

During the Assembly's Winter Session, the Bill was introduced by Home Minister Araga Jnanendra in the face of vehement opposition. The Basavaraj Bommai-led administration "wanted to outlaw conversion by force, fraud, coercion, misrepresentation, or marriage."

Congress had vigorously opposed the Bill while it was in the Opposition, calling it "anti-people," "inhuman," "anti-constitutional," "anti-poor," and "draconian," and urging that it should not be enacted for whatever reason and be withdrawn by the administration. The JD(S) had also stated that it opposed the Bill.

"Protection of the right to freedom of religion and prohibition of unlawful conversion from one religion to another by misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement, or by any fraudulent means" were provisions made in the bill.

It suggested a three- to five-year sentence with a punishment of Rs. 25,000; however, for violating the rules pertaining to women, juveniles, or SC/ST, offenders would be subject to a three- to ten-year sentence and a fine of at least  Rs.50,000.

Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa stated that the State Cabinet also resolved to remove information about RSS co-founder K.B. Hegdewar and other individuals from school textbooks.

Cases of religious conversions have been reported from 70 villages of Shahdol

'BJP-RSS leaders are converting Hindus by posing as priests..': Congress leader Sushil Anand