Anti-Conversion Bill! BJP MLAs corner Opposition leader Siddaramaiah citing ‘records’ of his CM tenure
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Belagavi: The debate over Anti- conversion Bill took a curious turn at the winter session of the Legislative Assembly on Thursday, with the ruling party BJP MLAs turning the table on Opposition Leader Siddaramaiah.
Endorsing former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhuswamy asserted that when Siddaramaiah was the chief minister the then Congress government had also intended to introduce a similar Bill in 2016, Karnataka Religious Freedom Bill, at the bidding of Law Commission and a draft was also ready.
To corroborate his allegation, Madhuswamy produced a document signed by Siddaramaiah directing to discuss the issue and submitted it to Speaker Vishweswara Hegde Kageri for reference.
Madhuswamy also clarified that the present BJP government has only made some additions to the same draft of the Bill mooted by previous Congress government.
However, Siddaramaiah who denied having any such intention then, clarified that, “I may have signed in a perfunctory manner as in the capacity of a chief minister I will be receiving several files. But no such Bill was either discussed in the cabinet or any other meetings.”
Siddaramaiah also quoted the clarification of then Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra, saying even he doesn’t remembers any such Bill drafted that time.
As the BJP MLAs continued to target Siddaramaiah, the latter lost his cool and said ” They are planning to portray me as an accused. Our government was in power till May 2018 and no attempts were made to introduce any such Bill, if there is any truth in their claims”
Amid this, allegations flew thick and fast from MLAs chiding opposition Congress with remarks as – ‘hit wicket’ and ‘ Siddaramaiah caught red handed.’
– Team Mysoorunews
Mysooru News
