India has passed a new anti-conversion law in Himachal Pradesh that freedom Christian charity says contradicts the country's Constitution.
The Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly has passed a bill to criminalise religious conversion in the northern Indian state.
The Bill, which was passed on
30th August intends to extend a law that was introduced in 2006 which criminalised conversion by "fraud," "force" and "inducement," by adding "coercion" to its terms.
Inducement has also been redefined under the new bill as the "offer of any temptation in the form of any gift or gratification or material benefit, either in cash or kind or employment, free education in reputed school run by any religious body, easy money, better lifestyle, divine pleasure or otherwise."
Freedom charity Christian Solidarity Worldwide have raised concerns over the wording of the amended terms, saying their loose definition could leave them open to misuse.
Anyone found attempting to convert a person from one [...]
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