Chennai, India - The Tamil Nadu Assembly today passed bills to repeal the Anti-Conversion law and Tamil Nadu Essential Services Maintenance Act--two controversial legislations passed during the AIADMK government.
Replying to a debate on the bill to repeal the anti-conversion law, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi said AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa had recently said in the assembly that there was no need to bring in a bill to repeal the Act, as it had already been repealed through an Ordinance. "But, she herself had cleared a file, on June 21 2004, which had stated that the Ordinance promulgated to repeal the anti-conversion act had to be passed by the assembly," Karunanidhi said.
However, Jayalalithaa changed her mind and did not bring in a legislation to repeal the anti-conversion law, he alleged. When the matter was raised by the leaders of minority communities, Jayalalithaa defended herself saying passing a law to repeal the Ordinance was not necessary, the Chief Minister observed.
Law Minister I Periyasamy said the anti-conversion law was enacted by the AIADMK government to satisfy a few groups. "The law was against the minorites and people. It was necessary to pass a law in the assembly to repeal it," he said.
Periyasamy said anyone had the right to follow any religion and the anti-conversion law was being repealed to dispel the apprehensions of the minorities and create religious harmony.