Wednesday, 10 May 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
CM watches The Kerala Story, says the movie depicts reality & raises awareness
Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that religious conversion is being carried out in different ways in Uttarakhand and has become a major concern for the State’s future. Considering this, the State government has brought a strict anti-conversion law to prevent such activities. The CM said this after watching the movie The Kerala Story at a cinema hall along with his wife, some cabinet colleagues, public representatives and BJP leaders on Tuesday.
Dhami said, “The Kerala Story shows how terrorism is being spread in the nation without using bullets and bombs. The film also shows how young women are being brainwashed and made to undergo religious conversion.This film introduces one to reality and raises awareness on religious conversion and terrorism, he said, while adding that all should watch it. Regarding the situation in Uttarakhand, he said that the anti-conversion law brought by the State government has provision for upto 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for those found guilty of orchestrating religious conversion by force or inducement. Such conversion has been divided into two categories with comparatively lesser punishment for individual conversion and more punishment for group conversion. There is provision for two to seven years imprisonment along with Rs 25,000 fine in case of individual conversion and three to 10 years imprisonment along with Rs 50,000 fine for group conversion, he said. This is an important step taken by the government to ensure that the special cultural identity of Uttarakhand is maintained and to prevent any unnecessary religious conversion, added the CM.
Along with tackling religious conversion, the State government is also identifying and demolishing encroachments made on government land. Illegal constructions on government land will not be tolerated and strict action under the law will be taken against those responsible for such activities, added Dhami.
Cabinet ministers Prem Chand Agrawal, Ganesh Joshi, Dehradun mayor Sunil Uniyal ‘Gama’, BJP leaders and the CM’s wife Geeta Dhami were also among those who watched the movie.
