NEWS

The proposed anti-conversion bill, which the BJP government in Karnataka intends to introduce in the ongoing Legislature session here, has a provision for imprisonment of those who indulge in mass conversion from three to 10 years and a fine of Rs one lakh.

The draft also says that the 'religious converter' shall give one month's prior notice in 'form-II of such conversion' to the district magistrate or any other officer not below the rank of the additional district magistrate. Also, the marriages done for the sole purpose of unlawful conversion or vice-versa will be declared void, as per the draft copy of 'The Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill-2021'.

The law once it comes into effect will encompass those who "misrepresent, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means or by marriage, or abet or conspire such conversion."

AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi has criticised the decision of Narendra Modi government to raise the minimum age of marriage for women from 18 to 21, terming it "ridiculous".

The Hyderabad MP said both men and women should be allowed to legally marry at 18 as they are treated as adults by the law for all other purposes.

"This is typical paternalism that we have come to expect from the govt. 18-year-old men & women can sign contracts, start businesses, choose Prime Ministers & elect MPs & MLAs but not marry," he said in a tweet.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to lay the foundation stone of the Ganga Expressway in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh on Saturday (December 18, 2021) at around 1 pm.

According to a release issued by the Prime Minister's Office on December 16, the inspiration behind the expressway is the vision of the Prime Minister to provide fast-paced connectivity across the country.

The release also added that the 594-kilometre long six-lane expressway will be built at a cost of over Rs 36,200 crore and will start near the Bijauli village in Meerut. The expressway will extend till near the Judapur Dandu village in Prayagraj. It will pass through Meerut, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Amroha, Sambhal, Budaun, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Pratapgarh and Prayagraj.

The police in Assam's Karbi Anglong district on Friday claimed that the chief of a newly floated militant outfit was killed in an encounter.

According to the Karbi Anglong district police, Jackson Ronghang, 26, Chairman of the newly floated militant group Karbi Democratic Liberation Front (KDLF) was killed in a gun fight with police at Bibia Kro village under Rongmongwe police station in the hill district.

Bokajan Sub Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) John Das said a kidnapping case of a worker from a bridge was reported on December 11. The victim was found in the hills and one accused was arrested.