Tag : Anti-Conversion

    As Karnataka passes anti-conversion ordinance, archbishop appeals to governor

    Karan
    May13/ 2022

    Bengaluru: With the numbers not in its favour in the legislative council, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka on Thursday decided to opt for the ordinance route to give effect to a contentious anti-conversion law in the state, months after the assembly approved it, even as the archbishop of Bengaluru decried the move as "sad" and requested the governor to not to give his assent to it. The Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill was passed by the legislative assembly in December last year, ahead of the 2023 assembly polls in the state, but is pending passage in the council, where the saffron party is just one short of majority. The state cabinet on Thursday decided to promulgate an ordinance to give effect to the bill. "We had passed the Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill (in the Assembly)... due to certain reasons it was not passed in the Legislative Council. So the cabinet today decided to bring in an ordinance," Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhuswamy said after a cabinet meeting. Archbishop Peter Machado claimed that with the promulgation of the ordinance, fringe elements and groups will try to create problems for members of the Christian community. "It has been brought to my notice today that the Karnataka cabinet has recommended to the governor of Karnataka to pass an ordinance to enforce the Protection of the Freedom of Religion Bill... This is sad and surely it will affect the harmonious relationship that we enjoy with members of all the communities in Karnataka," he said in a statement. Stating there has been no incidents -- neither of conversion, nor of aggression -- he said, "We cannot understand the sudden turn of events and what is there in the mind of ...

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