Bengaluru (Karnataka): Karnataka Home minister Araga Jnanendra said during the assembly session that conversion from one religion to another by luring is a crime and the government is planning to bring out a strict law against religious conversion. The assembly discussed in detail the religious conversion happening in the state.
BJP MLA Goolihatti Shekhar brought the subject for discussion during the zero hour. "Conversion from one religion to another is very widespread. There are 10,000 to 20,000 converts in my constituency. My mother was also converted. Christian missionaries target gullible people and brainwash them. My mother was one among them. Christian songs are my mother's mobile ring tone and there is no worship of Hindu deities in our house. This is very embarrassing," Shekhar said.
The MLA added that Dalits, backward classes, Muslims are being converted. Let anyone convert but the reservation meant for SC/ST should be forgone when they convert to Christianity. He demanded strict action against religious conversion.
BJP MLA K G Bopaiah also added his voice to this. He demanded the UP model law should be implemented in Karnataka. Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri said that "I spoke about this when Mallikarjun Kharge was the Home Minister. There is a law on it in another state. Making such law in our state is more useful"
The members spoke in detail about how the churches lure people into curing their illnesses. There are also incidents where false cases are foisted threatening people to convert, the members said.
Answering the topic, Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said, "it is also the focus of the government. There is a larger network behind religious conversion. There is debate about bringing a Bill in connection with this. Converting anyone with false promises is a crime."
Jnanendra said that "peace is disturbed by the religious conversion. We are having discussions about legal action." He warned action against police officers booking false cases in religious conversion cases.
Senior Congress legislator K J George said he has no objections to taking action against those indulging in forceful conversion or with inducement, but all Churches should not be generalised, and only those indulging in such activities to be dealt with.
