Assembly passes bill to repeal anti-conversion Act

Chennai, May 31 (UNI) A Bill, seeking to repeal an Anti-Conversion Act enacted by the previous AIADMK Government in 2002, was unanimously passed in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly today.

Replying to the discussion on the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Forcible Conversion of Religion (Repeal) Bill, introduced to replace an Ordinance promulgated on May 18, 2004, Law Minister I Periyasamy said the Act was against the interest of minorities and was brought in by the previous regime with the motive of satisfying somebody.

The Indian Constitution had guaranteed freedom to every citizen to choose his/her religion, he added.

He said the previous AIADMK Government promulgated an Ordinance to repeal the Anti-Conversion Act only after the AIADMK was drubbed in the Lok Sabha elections in 2004. However, the Ordinance had not been replaced by an Act.

Though former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition J Jayalalithaa cited a Supreme Court ruling of 1985 and argued in the House on May 27 that there was no need to replace the Ordinance with an Act, she herself had put her signature on a draft bill, proposed to be introduced in the House to replace the Ordinance, on June 21, 2004. This only exposed her double standards, he added.

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