Uttarakhand: Kashipur pro-Buddhist body says will go to court if govt amends anti-conversion law

Following a proposal related to amendment in the Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion Act, 2018 being passed in the Uttarakhand state Assembly, personnel from Jan Kalyan Seva Samiti, a social organisation from Kashipur, said on Friday that they would approach the court if any such step was taken.

Kashipur:Days after the Uttarakhand cabinet passed a proposal to increase jail term for forcible conversions from two years to 10 years by introducing an amendment to the Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion Act, 2018, protests have emerged from within the hill state.

Speaking to ETV Bharat, Chandrahaas Gautam, President of the Jan Kalyan Seva Samiti from the city, claimed the move "defied the Constitution". "Fundamental rights enshrined in the constitution are being directly violated (by the law). If the government introduces any such law, we will challenge it in the court of law" he said.

Rajesh Kumar Gautam, spokesperson for the body, meanwhile said the government's reasoning for 'forcible conversion' was meaningless. "In Uttarakhand, whoever seeks conversion of religion has to inform the District Magistrate one month in advance and after that has to obtain permission from the Sub Divisional Magistrate.

This process is duly followed here. Buddhism belongs to India, and anyone who wants to will continue to follow it. Anyone from the outside should not have an issue with this" he added.