Bengaluru: Karnataka has decided to make a U-turn and not introduce a bill against forcible conversion for marriages. In brief, no anti-‘Love Jihad’ bill in the existing winter session of the Assembly but the anti cow slaughter bill will be introduced.
The selection comes two days following the BJP’s executive committee and many senior ministers strongly favoured an anti-really like 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” prior to the subsequent session. He mentioned he’s been asked to collect data on the UP’s ordinance.
However, law minister JC Madhuswamy has been sustaining that the government has no plans to bring in a bill against really like jihad in the backdrop of criticism from the Congress.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa mentioned the bill against cow slaughter will be tabled in the existing session.
Backing the CM, Ashoka mentioned, “Farmers worship cow as god, and Indian culture accords special place for it. The blanket ban move is to stop killing of cows.”
A group of officials led by animal husbandry minister Prabhu Chavan lately visited Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat to study the anti-cow slaughter law getting implemented in these states. The minister held discussions with UP CM Yogi Adityanath in this regard lately.
Earlier, Opposition leader Siddaramaiah mentioned the Congress will oppose the bills against really like jihad and cow slaughter. KPCC president DK Shivakumar mentioned the BJP was playing a unsafe 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 mentioned.
However, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj minister KS Eshwarappa attacked the Congress and mentioned, “People, especially women, regard cow as mother and goddess. Let Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar ask their spouses whether they will endorse cow slaughter.”