Changes in conversion law: Centre no to MP

The priest or any other person intending to participate in the ceremony too would have been required to inform the DM about the date,time and place of the ceremony.

According to sources in the government,the decision to recommend to the President to withhold assent to the Madhya Pradesh Dharma Swatantrya Adhiniyam (Sansodhan) Vidheyak,2006 — which was passed by the state Assembly in the same year — was taken a few days ago by Home Minister P Chidambaram.

“Rashtrapati Bhawan has already been requested not to grant assent to the Bill,” sources told The Indian Express.

The amendments passed by the MP House also made it mandatory for the DM,once he received information about the conversion,to seek a report from the district police chief,including information on whether the conversion is a result of force or allurement.

Home Ministry sources said the previous Solicitor General (SG) Goolam E Vahanvati (now the Attorney General) had termed the original Act violative of the Constitution. Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta could not be contacted.

Before forwarding the Bill to the President,the Madhya Pradesh Governor had sought the opinion of the SG,who had suggested that the matter be sent to the state’s Advocate General for legal opinion.

After the state AG opined that the amendments were in conformity with the Constitution,the Governor sought the opinion of the SG too.

It is learnt that the SG pointed to certain clauses in the amendment Bill,which,he said,were not in conformity with the Constitution. He also said the Bill violated Articles 24,25,and 26.

“The Governor sent the matter to the President in view of contradictory opinions of the two law officers. But the Home Ministry has decided that the amendments would only be misused to harass anybody who intends to convert to another religion,” a source said.