SHIVAMOGGA: Contrary to what Hosadurga BJP MLA Gulihatti Shekhar had claimed, an official survey conducted by Hosadurga tahsildar found that 46 families in two villages in Hosadurga taluk of Chitradurga district accepted Christianity on their own, and were not forced.
The families told the official team that nobody forced them to accept Christianity.
After Shekhar alleged in the Assembly sessions that forced conversions are rampant in his constituency, the Hosadurga taluk administration conducted a survey to find facts. Contrary to the claim of the MLA, the officials team led by tahsildar Y Thippeswamy found that the families accepted Christianity voluntarily.
Thippeswamy told The New Indian Express over phone that he visited Maruti Nagar in Srirampura hobli and another village near Devapura hobli along with a circle inspector a few weeks ago and spoke to the families concerned.
"The families told us that nobody forced them, and they are happy and have a peace of mind since they converted to Christianity. When we asked about reports of some people luring them to accept Christianity, the families rubbished those reports," the tahsildar said.
The tahsildar said that the team interacted with 34 families at Maruti Nagar and 12 villages in another village near Devapura. "Some villagers said that these families were forced to accept Christianity. But, the families concerned have rubbished those claims," Thippeswamy said.
It may be recalled here that in September Shekhar alleged in the Assembly that forced conversion is rampant in his constituency, and even went on to say that his mother was allegedly converted by force to Christianity. A few days later, he had said that his mother and nine others in his village had reverted to Hinduism.
Meanwhile, the state government is reportedly considering tabling an anti-conversion bill in the upcoming legislature session in Belagavi.