Parliament may take up bill seeking jailing of religious leaders seeking votes for party


New Delhi, Dec 3 (PTI): A private member's bill seeking up to seven years' imprisonment of religious leaders, who appeal to their followers to vote for a political party, is likely to be taken up for consideration in the winter session of Parliament beginning December 15.

Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) MP Dushyant Chautala has proposed an amendment to the Religious Institutions (Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1988, to restrain religious institutions from acting at the behest of political parties.

"No religious institution or manager or spiritual leader thereof shall issue any direction on appeal to any person or group of persons to vote or refrain from voting in any election in favour of any political party or any individual that election," according to the bill, introduced in 2015.

"And if any spiritual leader does so, he or she shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years," Chautala, an MP from Sirsa in Haryana, has proposed in the Religious Institutions (Prevention of Misuse) Amendment Bill, 2015.

There is also a provision in the bill for Rs 1-10 lakh fine on offenders.

The broader objective of this bill is to check politicisation of religion, religious institutions and spiritual leaders. At the same time, it aims at preventing criminalisation of such institutions, he said.

As politicians should not enter into religious activities, similarly religious leaders should not enter into political activities, he said.

A private member's bill is a legislation which any MP can propose in his or her personal capacity. Most of the times these bills don't enact into a law as they are not proposed by the government.

  

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Comment on this article

  • Aubb, Kuwait

    Mon, Dec 04 2017

    Height of arrogance and stupidity!!

    DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • Mona, Mangalore

    Mon, Dec 04 2017

    So what about Yogi Adithyanath ?

    DisAgree Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • Beowulf, Mangalore

    Mon, Dec 04 2017

    I do not want to see any religious leaders at any political rally.

    DisAgree Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • mahesh, Mangalore

    Mon, Dec 04 2017

    As the last line suggest, a private bill doesn't get support.
    If the sikulars are feeling happy, then they should watch what Congress and other so-called secular parties do about it.
    You will be surprised.

    DisAgree [6] Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • Indian, Belman/Bangalore

    Mon, Dec 04 2017

    First pass bill to guarantee education and jobs to each and every citizen.
    Super speciality healthcare to all citizens.
    Bill to safeguard social security benefits to all citizens.
    India is a democratic country, where the constitution guarantees the freedom of speech, where people have the choice to like or dislike, express opinion, so also right of belief and disbelief.

    DisAgree Agree [6] Reply Report Abuse

  • David Pais, Mangalore

    Mon, Dec 04 2017

    first jail most criminal m.p's of da 16th lok sabha

    DisAgree Agree [8] Reply Report Abuse

  • Gabriel, sagar

    Mon, Dec 04 2017

    First Bring a bill to block the criminalization of parliamentary democracy in our country.

    DisAgree Agree [10] Reply Report Abuse

  • Kevin, Mangalore

    Mon, Dec 04 2017

    Can't wait to see Adityanath, head priest of Goraknath temple, thrown in jail after the bill is passed in Parliament.

    DisAgree [4] Agree [12] Reply Report Abuse

  • Kevin, Mangalore

    Mon, Dec 04 2017

    The rule of law does not exist in India. If the proposed bill becomes law, it will be selectively enforced against religious minorities.

    DisAgree [2] Agree [11] Reply Report Abuse

  • Ahmed, Bangalore

    Mon, Dec 04 2017

    I believe this rule is being made to control only Minorities not any majority..... Has any one seen so far in any case of election campaign any of the sadhu's, swamy's, baba's or any Fasicts leader being arrested for using hatred language and forcing Hindu men and women to vote for BJP? All these laws are created to stop only minorities power..... By the way this idea in their mind came out only when a Catholic Father of Gujarat asked Christians to vote not for BJP. ....These law makers were sleeping when their people were accustomed in openly breaching election code of ethics and asking their men to vote BJP..

    What this Father said was absolutely true but should have requested internally not in public....Why should we vote for such a party which treats Indian Muslims and Christians as second class citizen and a step mother approach? ? Are they treating us equal ? They will never.... As long as their motto is Hindutva (not actual Hinduism of vedas) they cannot treat us equal including all minorities of India.

    DisAgree [3] Agree [13] Reply Report Abuse

  • moshu, mangaluru

    Mon, Dec 04 2017

    All such leaders are the pillars of BJP.

    DisAgree [2] Agree [10] Reply Report Abuse

  • Praveen Kumar shetty, Mangalore

    Mon, Dec 04 2017

    Gud den wat about yogi adityanath how many years jail for him ??????

    DisAgree [2] Agree [13] Reply Report Abuse

  • clifford, Mangalore

    Mon, Dec 04 2017

    BJP is exempted from this bill as they don't use religion or religious leaders to seek votes.

    DisAgree Agree [9] Reply Report Abuse

  • Bajilakerey Kamalaksha, Mangalore

    Mon, Dec 04 2017

    Then UP CM will go to the Jail he will be followed by Shakshi Maharaj.

    DisAgree Agree [11] Reply Report Abuse

  • leslie, udupi

    Mon, Dec 04 2017

    Stupidity can not go any lower...

    DisAgree Agree [8] Reply Report Abuse

  • BASIL D'SOUZA, MANGALORE

    Sun, Dec 03 2017

    Ohh thats great news and what about Yogi adityanath ????? he will be the first person to go jail right?????

    DisAgree Agree [9] Reply Report Abuse

  • Rajesh, Mulki

    Sun, Dec 03 2017

    Good idea. Hope it will be passed.

    DisAgree Agree [5] Reply Report Abuse

  • Mohammed, Kundapur/Qatar

    Sun, Dec 03 2017

    this is what we need , i am waiting to see many religious leaders behind bars because of too much interest in politics instead of preaching.
    in first instance, yogi adityanath must be behind bars.

    DisAgree Agree [6] Reply Report Abuse

  • Dr Mohan Prabhu, LL.D, QC, Mangalore (Kankanady)/Ottawa, Canada

    Sun, Dec 03 2017

    The private member bill may go a bit too far. A fine under the Elections Act may be more appropriate. And even more appropriate is to de-register these institutions for tax exemption, if they are given such exemption as religious institutions or charities, so they pay taxes for advocating a particular reform or ask congregation to vote for a particular party. Many charities, which are given exemptions from tax, if they are registered are de-registered because they advocate political causes and are not truly charitable.

    DisAgree [3] Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • Jossey Saldanha, Mumbai

    Sun, Dec 03 2017

    Half of BJP would be in Jail ...

    DisAgree Agree [12] Reply Report Abuse

  • David Pais, Mangalore

    Sun, Dec 03 2017

    almost all seers will b in jail. In all national holidays all workers skilled or non skilled should abstain from govt. public & private works.

    DisAgree Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • KRPrabhu, Bangalore/Mangalore

    Sun, Dec 03 2017

    Jossey , atha kaalen korchega...?
    Ashe jatha monu konnie chinthlagi...

    DisAgree [3] Agree Reply Report Abuse


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