Cong expresses displeasure over new anti-conversion bill to Gov

Jaipur, Mar 25 (UNI) The Opposition Congress in Rajasthan and several other organisations today met state Governor Shailendra Kumar Singh, seeking his intervention in the anti-conversion bill passed in the state assembly last week.

A delegation of Congress leaders met the Governor under the leadership of party state President CP Joshi and submitted a memorandum in protest against the government's move.

''Since the old bill passed by the Assembly in 2006 was still pending before the President for her assent, the passage of new bill was inappropriate. Besides this, while replying to the debate on the matter last week the state Home Minister and Law Minister had made comments over the action and conduct of the then governor.

''Therefore, the governor, while processing the new bill at his end should keep these facts in mind", the party demanded. The party has also sought the Mr Singh's intervention in the appointments of politicians, other than MLAs and Ministers, as district in charge to head the district-level administrative committees.

Another delegation consisting of Father Raymond Coelho, Chairperson of the Rajasthan Christian Fellowship, Bishop Oswald Lewis, Advocate Ajay Jain, Secretary of the Jamaite-Islami-hind Nazimuddin, Sawai Singh from Rajasthan Samgra Sewa Sangh, Kavita Srivastava of the PUCL also submitted a memorandum to the governor.

The delegation has stated "the present Bill was once again an assault on the religious minorities in this State, violating the fundamental rights granted to the citizens under the Indian Constitution".

As compared to other Bills in the country, this Bill exposes the agenda of the BJP of taking over the properties of the religious minorities. As under the new Bill all the people and Institutions will become offenders and their registrations cancelled on mere contemplation of conversion activity as mentioned in Section 4(2)(a).

The delgation also brought to the notice of the Governor how the ruling party was so keen on pressing its anti-minority agenda on the people as some of the BJP legislators and Ministers even went to the extent of violating Article 163 of the Indian Constitution which prevents the questioning of the decisions of the Governor. They lost no opportunity to openly question and criticise the then Governor.

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