Uttarakhand: Cong calls it 'BJP-orchestrated ploy' after Governor sends back anti-conversion Bill

Dehradun, Dec 18 (PTI) After Governor Lt Gen Gurmit Singh (retd) returned the Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Bill-2025, the Congress on Thursday called it a ploy "orchestrated" by the BJP to keep the issue alive until the upcoming elections, while some political parties termed it a "slap in the face" for the state government's attempt to target a section of society.

The amendment bill was passed in the monsoon session of the state Assembly held in Gairsain, after which it was sent to the Governor for approval. However, the Governor returned it to the state government with a message citing some clerical errors in the language of the draft.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) alleged that it is the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) tendency to communalise everything, and that the aim of all their actions is to target a specific section of society.

CPI (ML) state secretary Indresh Maikhuri termed the Governor's decision to return the amendment bill a positive step, saying, "Such actions by them (BJP) should be stopped, and it's good that at least at one level, the government has been shown the mirror. This is a slap in the face for the state government, and it should now introspect on how, in its attempt to target a particular community, it failed to draft the bill properly." Mohammad Shahzad, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA from the Laksar constituency in Haridwar district, said that he was already against the bill and that the Governor had done a good job by not approving it.

He said, "We have been saying all along that they (the BJP government) bring bills and laws only to target the Muslim community. The Governor has done a very commendable job by returning the bill." However, the main opposition party, the Congress, termed the return of the bill a ploy "orchestrated" by Pushkar Singh Dhami's BJP government, saying that they want to keep this issue alive until 2027 so that they can pass it again just before the elections and regain "power through polarisation".

Surya Kant Dhasmana, senior vice-president (organisation) of the Uttarakhand unit of the Congress, said, "The issues raised by the BJP, including the Uniform Civil Code, have had no impact on society, and therefore, to polarise the public during the upcoming assembly elections, the BJP will pass this bill again with some more amendments before the elections. This is a game orchestrated by the BJP." Dhasmana also alleged that it has been the BJP's tendency to bring constitutional institutions like the Raj Bhavan under its influence.

This bill was introduced to amend the Freedom of Religion Act, which has been in force in the state since 2018, for the second time. The first amendment to this act was made in 2022. This was when Pushkar Singh Dhami assumed the chief minister's office for the second time.

The Bill provides for a maximum punishment of life imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs 10 lakh for forced conversions. Currently, the maximum punishment for this offence is 10 years imprisonment and a fine of Rs 50,000.

Under the bill, the punishment ranges from three to 10 years in general cases, five to 14 years in cases involving vulnerable groups, and 20 years or life imprisonment in serious cases, along with heavy fines.

The amendment bill has further strengthened the provisions to prevent conversions through fraud, inducement, or coercion. The definition of inducement has been broadened to include gifts, cash or material benefits, employment, free education, promise of marriage, hurting religious sentiments, or glorifying another religion, all of which are now categorised as offences.

It also includes provisions to prohibit the use of digital means, making acts such as promoting or instigating conversions through social media, messaging apps, or any online medium punishable.

After the Governor returned the bill, the state government will now have to get it passed again by the Legislative Assembly, or it can implement it through an ordinance. PTI DPT APL