On Monday, among the protests by the opposition Congress, the Madhya Pradesh legislative assembly passed the MP Freedom of Religion Bill 2020 to prohibit forcible religious conversion by way of allurement, fraud, threat or marriage.

Home minister Narottam Mishra tabled the bill in the legislative assembly. Congress leaders opposed the bill and called it a violation of constitutional rights. The bill will now be sent to governor Anandiben Patel for approval.

BJP MLAs supported the bill and called it a gift for women on the occasion of Women’s Day. Party MLA Sitasharam Sharma said, “According to a 1956 report, conversions are mostly brought about under influence, misrepresentation, or in other words not by conviction but by various inducements offered for proselytisation in various forms. Congress leaders believe in doing politics and the BJP believes in resolving the root cause of such issues.”

Members of the minority Muslim and Christian communities said that they will move court after the notification of the law.

Muslim Vikas Parishad state convener Mahir Khan said, “This bill will be misused by people to target us and we will not keep silent over this. We will move court against it.”

In the assembly, former minister and Congress MLA Govind Singh said, “I opposed this bill because it has been brought to suppress, harass and create a fearful environment for people from a minority. The new bill is a violation of Article 21 and Article 25 of the Constitution of India.”