The Karnataka Legislative Assembly will hold a public hearing on the controversial anti-conversion bill on Wednesday.

Karnataka's Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill, 2021, was introduced in the state Assembly on Tuesday, despite considerable resistance from the opposition party, Congress.

According to the bill, religious freedom is protected, and unlawful conversion from one faith to another is prohibited, whether via deception, compulsion, allurement, or any other fraudulent method.

DK Shivakumar, the state Congress head, tore documents off his desk in protest over the introduction of the law, which his party described as "draconian and anti-constitutional."

Siddaramaiah, the leader of the opposition, has also expressed his opposition to the law, claiming that it breaches fundamental rights and the Constitution.

"Due to the fact that it breaches basic rights and the Constitution, we reject the passage of the legislation. It is a violation of an individual's rights. This is a harsh piece of legislation "he explained.

What exactly are the stipulations of the legislation?
For individuals who participate in religious conversion, the bill proposes a prison sentence of three to five years and a fine of Rs 25,000, while those who violate the laws pertaining to juveniles, women, and SC/ST would face a prison sentence of three to 10 years and a fine of not less than Rs 50,000.

The proposed bill also includes a clause requiring the accused to pay up to Rs five lakh in compensation to people who were forced to convert as a result of their actions.

The bill also recommends a prison sentence of 3-10 years and a fine of up to Rs one lakh for individuals who engage in large-scale religious conversion.

It also states that any marriage that has taken place solely for the purpose of unlawful conversion or vice versa by a man of one religion with a woman of another religion, whether by converting himself before or after marriage or by converting the woman before or after marriage, shall be declared null and void by the family court or, in the absence of a family court, by the court having jurisdiction to try such a case, on a petition presented by either party thereto, shall be declared null and void by the

Moreover, the offense under this statute is not subject to bail and is cognizable.