Bengaluru: Karnataka has decided to make a U-turn and not introduce a bill against forcible conversion for marriages. In short, no anti-‘Love Jihad’ bill in the current winter session of the Assembly but the anti cow slaughter bill will be introduced.
The decision comes two days after the BJP’s executive committee and several senior ministers strongly favoured an anti-love jihad bill.
“No love jihad (bill) this time. We will enact only anti-cow slaughter legislation in this session,’’ said revenue minister R Ashoka.
Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who favoured an anti-love jihad bill, said the state will keep the anti-love jihad bill “ready” before the next session. He said he’s been asked to gather information on the UP’s ordinance.
However, law minister JC Madhuswamy has been maintaining that the government has no plans to bring in a bill against love jihad in the backdrop of criticism from the Congress.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said the bill against cow slaughter will be tabled in the current session.
Backing the CM, Ashoka said, “Farmers worship cow as god, and Indian culture accords special place for it. The blanket ban move is to stop killing of cows.”
A team of officials led by animal husbandry minister Prabhu Chavan recently visited Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat to study the anti-cow slaughter law being implemented in these states. The minister held discussions with UP CM Yogi Adityanath in this regard recently.
Earlier, Opposition leader Siddaramaiah said the Congress will oppose the bills against love jihad and cow slaughter. KPCC president DK Shivakumar said the BJP was playing a dangerous political game for electoral gains. “BJP functionaries are in the forefront of beef-export business; we know in which state the business is thriving. The bill is against farmers as it will affect them. I hope good sense prevails and the government backs out from tabling the bill,” he said.
However, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj minister KS Eshwarappa attacked the Congress and said, “People, especially women, regard cow as mother and goddess. Let Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar ask their spouses whether they will endorse cow slaughter.”
