India leader refuses to sign anti-conversion bill

JAIPUR, India — Amid widespread criticism of the Rajasthan anti-conversion bill by Christian and human rights organizations, Rajasthan Gov. Pratibha Patil on May 19 refused to sign the bill into law, saying its provisions would violate religious freedom. In sending it back to the Rajasthan assembly, she suggested representatives refer it to the president for passage if they wished. While the Rajasthan assembly is controlled by a Hindu extremist-backed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) majority, the government of India is ruled by the Congress Party-led United Progressive Alliance. In India, a governor, who is the nominal head of a state government to ensure that the constitutional provisions are upheld, almost never refuses to sign a bill passed by the assembly. Enos Das Pradhan, general secretary of the National Council of Churches in India, told reporters that the bill “is an instrument to harass the Christians.”