BENGALURU: Expressing apprehension that the proposed anti-conversion bill could become an instrument of oppression if certain fringe elements take the law into their hands, Christian community head Archbishop Peter Machado on Monday urged CM Basavaraj Bommai to drop the bill.
He questioned why the Backward Class and Minority Welfare department had ordered a survey of religious personnel, places of worship and institutions of only the Christian community, and requested that the “discriminatory order” be withdrawn.
“If Christians are rampantly converting Hindus, why are our numbers still 1.87 per cent? When Census data is available with the government, this will be a futile exercise. The anti-conversion law will only make all hell break loose.’’
Archbishop Machado said there are distressing results due to such laws in other parts of the country. “The Christian community opposes the proposed anti-conversion bill in one voice. What is the need for such an exercise when freedom of religion is guaranteed under Article 25 and 26 of the Constitution?’’ he asked.
“Some sporadic incidents should not be referred to show the entire Christian community in bad light.” It may be recalled that Bommai had recently said the government was considering bringing in a law against religious conversion either by force or through inducement. BJP-ruled states like UP, HP and MP have already introduced laws to prevent forcible religious conversion.