Jaya, MK lock horns over Anti-Conversion Law

Chennai, May 27 (UNI) The question ''Is the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Forcible Conversion of Religion Act, brought in by the previous AIADMK Government, in force or not in the state?'' has brought AIADMK Supremo J Jayalalithaa and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi at loggerheads with each other.

In the Tamil Nadu Assembly today, Ms Jayalalithaa maintained the Act was not in force since 2004 when it was allowed to lapse, while Mr Karunanidhi said the Act, banning forcible conversions, still stands unrepealed.

Participating in the debate on the motion of thanks to the Governor's address, Ms Jayalalithaa stoutly argued that there was no need to introduce a bill, as promised in the Governor's address, to repeal the Act brought by her government.

She said her government had promulgated an Ordinance to repeal the Act on May 18, 2004. There was no need for a Bill to replace the Ordinance repealing the Act. This position was made clear by the Supreme Court in 1985 in a Constitution Bench judgement.

The Karunanidhi Government's decision to introduce a bill to replace the Ordinance was like exhuming an already buried body only to be buried again, she claimed.

Not to be outdone, Mr Karunanidhi, intervened and in his inimitable style said ''Saavil Santheygam Irunthal, Athai Thondi Eduppathil Thappillai (If there is doubt in the death, there is nothing wrong in exhuming the body to bury it again)''.

Ms Jayalalithaa winded-up her nearly 45-minute long speech by stating the Act had not been in force since 2004.

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