Karnataka to scrap anti-conversion law, remove chapter on RSS founder

The Congress government has also decided to make it mandatory to read the Preamble to the Indian Constitution in all schools and colleges

The Karnataka cabinet on Thursday decided to scrap the anti-conversion law introduced by the previous BJP government, according to media reports.

According to reports, the Cabinet also removed school textbook lessons on RSS founder K B Hedgewar and others.

The Siddaramaiah government has also decided to make it mandatory to read the Preamble to the Indian Constitution in all schools and colleges. The Cabinet has also decided to reverse changes made by the BJP government in the school syllabus.

In September 2022, the Karnataka Legislative Council passed the contentious anti-conversion Bill tabled by the BJP government amid objections by Congress and JD(S), who were then in opposition.

In May 2022, the BJP government in Karnataka brought in an ordinance to facilitate the introduction of the anti-conversion law.

The anti-conversion law was enacted to "provide for the 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."

The Act describes in detail what defines what qualifies as unlawful conversion.

“Allurement” means and includes an offer of any temptation in the form of any gift, gratification, easy money or material benefit either in cash or kind; employment, free education in school or college run by any religious body; or promise to marry; or better lifestyle, divine displeasure or otherwise; or portraying practice, rituals and ceremonies or an integral part of a religion in a detrimental way vis-a-vis another religion; or glorifying one religion against another religion."

The Act provided for the "protection of 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."

It also included provisions for scrapping marriage carried out through "unlawful conversion".