The Karnataka government is soon set to table the anti-superstition bill in the upcoming joint session of the state legislature starting July 4.
The new anti superstition bill is being considered to be named the Kalburgi bill in order to commemorate the death of rationalist Malleshappa Madivalappa Kalburgi according to a report in the News Minute.
The bill which is set to punish those using black magic and astrology among other practises to dupe people imposes a penalty of Rs 25,000 and a seven year prison sentence. The law department has drafted the bill and sent it to the Social Welfare department.
"The cabinet will discuss the bill in detail before giving its approval for tabling it in the Legislative Assembly,", T B Jayachandra, minister of Law and Parliamentary Affairs was quoted saying to Deccan Chronicle.
Modeled on a similar law in Maharashtra it has been adapted to suit Karnataka. However, the minister told Deccan Chronicle that the government had not reached consensus on banning fire walking rituals and "Made-snana" and "Yede- snana" rituals practised in a few temples of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi district.
Made Snana and Yade Snana are controversial religious festivals that perpetuate castesim and religious tensions as they involve eating of leftover food by people belonging to lower castes.
The Kalburgi murder probe which was taken over by CBI has recently been linked to the deaths of other rationalists such as Dr Narendra Dabholkar in Pune in August 2013 and the death of CPI leader Govind Pansare in Kolhapur in February 2015.
Though the investigation is going on, the murders have been traced to one common thread, the Sanatan Sanstha, a hindu organisation whose cadres are now being probed for their alleged involvement in the murders.
