Bengaluru: After delaying it for over four years, the State government will finally table the controversial Karnataka Evil, Inhuman and Superstitious Practices Prevention and Eradication Bill. However, the ruling Congress has decided to tone-down certain provisions of the Bill.

Banning several superstitious practices, including made snana, astrology and animal sacrifices, will be dropped from the draft Bill, according to Revenue Minister Kagodu Thimmappa. A Cabinet sub-committee, headed by Thimmappa, drafted the Bill and referred it to the Law Department for finalising various provisions.

“A final draft as envisaged by the committee members has been sent to the Law Department and soon it will be placed before the Cabinet for approval. Subsequently, it will be presented in the Assembly. The government is committed to bring the legislation and it will be tabled in the House come what may,” Thimmappa said.

He said the committee has proposed changes and leniency on some of the practices. “The superstitions cannot be eradicated in one go or by bringing in a legislation. Awareness against such practices has to come from within. However, we have been slightly accommodative on certain practices such as astrology, vaastu, numerology, horoscope reading and others. But there is no compromise on punishing astrologers, who resort to threatening, extortion and cheating in the name of beliefs. Such elements will be dealt with severely,” the Minister said.

The original Bill envisaged banning practices and customs such as human sacrifice, exorcism, black magic, witchcraft, aghori, made snana, rituals with self-inflicted injuries, throwing of infants from a height on a bed of thorns, parading women in the nude, sexual exploitation by invoking supernatural powers and killing animals by biting their neck.