The Opposition on Wednesday remained steadfast in vehemently opposing the bill against religious conversion as the Karnataka Assembly deferred the discussion on the contentious legislation by a day.

The discussion on The Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill, 2021, was postponed to Thursday when the House reconvened after lunch on Wednesday.

The ruling and Opposition benches agreed to take up the bill for discussion on Thursday morning due to other business scheduled for the day. Assembly Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri suggested that the discussion be limited to an hour on Wednesday and continue in the morning.

The day began with a sit-in by reporters as they were briefly denied entry into the Assembly. But the Speaker met them and allowed them in.

Former chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa pitched for the bill and requested the Opposition to ensure its smooth passage in both Houses of the legislature. “So many states have already implemented the anti-conversion law. We are going to implement it in Karnataka also. So, I request Congress and JDS leaders to support it and pass it unanimously.”

But the Congress and the Janata Dal Secular have already declared their opposition to the controversial bill.

Former chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy of the JDS told reporters outside the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belgaum where the winter session is underway, that the bill was an attempt to derail democracy.

“The BJP government brought the bill in such a hurry in an attempt to derail democracy. They brought this bill to cover their failures,” Kumaraswamy said.

“This government is desperate to please the Sangh parivar outfits that hold the remote control. The BJP is misusing its majority in the Assembly to push through this bill. But we will oppose it in the Council,” he added, citing the fact that the BJP would need one more vote in the Upper House even after the newly elected members take oath early January.

Congress lawmaker and state party president D.K. Shivakumar, who had torn a copy of the bill in the Assembly when it was tabled on Wednesday, said he had no regret in doing so.

“Yes, I have torn the bill. It is my right to tear the bill. Let them do whatever they can. This is against the Constitution. They are acting like thieves. They are killing the state,” Shivakumar told reporters, iterating that such a legislation that evidently targets Christians would affect the investment climate of the state.

“I will reverse this bill when the Congress comes back to power,” he said.

The Opposition had on Tuesday protested the manner in which the bill was tabled without including it in the regular business agenda. Home minister Araga Jnanendra had quickly presented the bill in the House although the Opposition members were yet to return after the lunch break. The Speaker had then clarified that it was included in the supplementary agenda.

Christian organisations held a protest march in Bangalore on Wednesday against the tabling of the bill.

Archbishop of Bangalore Peter Machado who led the protest said that the provisions in the bill were a clear infringement of personal freedom to even marry.

“People would have to inform the officials about what would otherwise be entirely private affairs since there would be no freedom to even marry. Even helping the poor and downtrodden would be impossible,” he said, citing the provisions in the bill that propose up to 10 years in jail for violations.