Karnataka: Bible, Quran not allowed in schools, says education minister BC Nagesh

Karnataka education minister BC Nagesh on Wednesday said that the Christian schools cannot conduct catechism classes.
Image of a saffron flag used for representational purpose. (File Photo)
Image of a saffron flag used for representational purpose. (File Photo)

MANGALURU: The BJP government in Karnataka is targeting Christian institutions, Metropolitan Archbishop of Bangalore, Peter Machado has said.

Machado refuted allegations by saffron outfits against a catholic institution in the city of resorting to "forced conversion."

He termed the accusation of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti against Clarence High School in Bengaluru as "false and misleading." However, the Karnataka government has ordered a probe into the allegation following directions from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR).

There are some unconfirmed reports that the Karnataka Education Department is deputing the authorities to check the Christian institutions regarding the educational content that is being taught in the Christian schools. "Why only the Christian Minority institutions are targeted?” the archbishop asked.

“When our Christian minority institutions are rendering selfless services to the society without any discrimination or partiality, levelling such false accusations and causing harassment by some fundamental groups and education department cannot be condoned,” he reportedly added.

Karnataka education minister BC Nagesh on Wednesday said that the Christian schools cannot conduct catechism classes.

Responding to the queries of the media in Mangaluru, the minister said that be it minority institutions or others, the rules laid down under the Karnataka education act should be followed.

"Bible and Quran are not allowed in schools as they are religious texts and the block education officers have been asked to verify as there are some allegations that institutions run by Christians are asking children to carry Bible in bags and keep it with them during prayer. On their school websites, they have asked to admit children only those who accept Bible. Hence we will look into these allegations. We are not interfering in their administrative matters," he said.

Questioned as to whether Bhagawat Gita is not a religious text, the minister said that it was not a religious text but it teaches values to be adopted in one's life.

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