CURRENT AFFAIRS

Detailed explanation-1: -The Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Wednesday passed the Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill, 2022, (popularly called the anti-conversion Bill) by voice vote amid walkout by Opposition Congress members.

Detailed explanation-2: -Referring to the first anti-Conversion bill that was passed by Odisha government in 1967, Cynthia Stephen in her EPW paper Anti-Conversion legislation in Karnataka notes when the state passed the bill, the Christian population of the state was around 2 lakhs, 1.1% of the population in comparison to 1.7 crores Hindus.

Detailed explanation-3: -These laws were enacted by Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Karnataka and Jharkhand ostensibly to curb conversions through allurement, deceit or marriage, the latter being referred to in quarters as “love jihad”.