BENGALURU: After the state government brought in the Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Act 2022, when the BJP was in power, the Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner (DC) has received only two applications for religious conversion.
A woman named Noor, a practising Muslim, and Samad, a Hindu, have filed applications to change their faith. Noor applied on July 10, seeking to convert to Hinduism along with her four children. Samad filed an application on June 6, wanting to embrace Islam.
Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner KA Dayanand told TNIE: “As far as my knowledge goes, since I took charge eight months ago, I have come across only two applications with regard to religious conversion. All the rules will have to be followed before the case is cleared.”
A case worker in Bengaluru Urban DC’s office confirmed this, and said the applications have been put up on the notice board, calling for objections, as per rules. A declaration will also be collected from applicants and once cleared, it will be put on the notice board, and the person interested in the new faith can officially be identified with their preferred religion.
Following this development, Moulana Maqsood Imran Rashadi, chief priest, Jamia Masjid, Bengaluru, said, “Each religion has its own value system and it is the same for Islam. It is a gift to community members, however, if a person wants to leave the religion, it is their personal choice.”
S Bhaskaran, president, Vishwa Sanatan Parishad, said no conversion should take place with fraudulent means, including promise of marriage or allurement, with the sole motive of increasing the population of a particular religious sect. “We will not stand in the way of people converting if it has no hidden agenda,” said Bhaskaran.