Dharma Swatantrya Bill will be cleared on Dec 26: MP HM Narottam Mishra

Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra on Tuesday said that the state government’s Dharma Swatantrya (Religious Freedom) Bill 2020 will be cleared in a special Cabinet meeting on December 26.

The three-day session of the Legislative Assembly is scheduled to begin on December 28

Ahead of the Legislative Assembly session, he told reporters that, “It has been decided that Dharma Swatantrya (Religious Freedom) Bill 2020 will be cleared in a special Cabinet meeting on December 26 and then will be tabled in the Assembly.”

The Chief Minister’s Office had said that forcing religious conversion on someone will attract 3-10 years of imprisonment and a minimum Rs 50,000 fine. Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan said the Bill will ensure that no religious conversion is carried out forcefully, or by tempting someone or through marriage.

“Forcing religious conversion on someone will attract 3-10 years of imprisonment and a minimum Rs 50,000 fine. Mass religious conversion (2 or more people) will attract 5-10 years of imprisonment and a minimum fine of Rs 1 Lakh,” Madhya Pradesh CMO had said.

Any marriage done with the intention of religious conversion will be considered null. Anyone going through religious conversion willingly as well as the concerned religious leader will have to inform the District Magistrate one month in advance, it had stated.