New Delhi: Gujarat Governor Nawal Kishore Sharma on Tuesday returned the controversial Freedom of Religion (amendment) Bill, 2006, terming it violative of the Constitution.
The Bill sought to replace the definition of 'convert' by a new one under which a person renouncing one denomination and adopting another denomination of the same religion was to be excluded from the meaning of 'convert'.
The Bill was passed by the state Assembly in 2006 in an attempt to check religious conversion.
The state government had brought the Bill to amend the Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act 2003, which was enacted with a view to preventing conversions of persons from one religion to another by use of force or by allurement or by fraudulent means.
Returning the Bill without his stamp of approval, the Governor said the proposed measure violated the right to religious freedom.
"What made it more objectionable were the three explanations stipulating that the 'Jains' and 'Buddhists' shall be construed as denominations of Hindu religion, 'Shias' and 'Sunnis' under Muslim religion and 'Catholics' and 'Protestants' under Christian religion," the Governor said.
The Governor's decision has set up a possible showdown with the BJP Government in Gujarat. An official release from the Governor's office said the provisions of amendment bill are violative to the Article 25 of the Constitution, which gurantees to all citizens to freely profess, practise and propagate a religion.
The Bill should be reconsidered for suitable amendments so as to bring its contents in conformity with the Constitution, Sharma said.
(With PTI inputs)
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