Verghese V Joseph –
Bengaluru: Reacting to Karnataka Government’s move to implement Anti-Conversion Bill through an ordinance, the Archbishop of Bangalore, Most Rev Dr. Peter Machado said, “This is sad and surely it will affect the harmonious relationship that we enjoy with members of all the communities in Karnataka.”
Dr Machado who is also the President of Karnataka Region Catholic Bishop’s Council and President of All Karnataka United Christian forum for Human Rights urged Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot not to give assent to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government’s move to bring an ordinance to implement the controversial anti-conversion bill, which is yet to get passed by the State Legislative Council.
In a Press statement, Dr Machado said, “It has been brought to my notice today that the Karnataka Cabinet of Ministers has recommended to the Governor of Karnataka to pass an ordinance to enforce the Protection of the Freedom of Religion Bill’ in Karnataka.”
Reiterating again, the prelate stressed, “There have been no incidents neither of conversion nor of aggressive incidents against the community. We cannot understand the sudden turn of events and what is there in the mind of the Government with the ordinance in hand, there is no doubt that the
fringe elements and groups will try to create problems for the members of our community as we have seen in the past and the government is in no control of them.”
However, he added that “In the right democratic tradition, the Christian Community members will appeal to the Governor not to give assent to the bill, given the nature of the involvement of the Christian Community in the wider development of the State and Community in the matter of education, health care & social welfare. We are law-abiding citizens and will surely put our trust in the Government to protect our interests and concerns. We have no difficulty in the Government taking action against any excesses or unlawful activities that are noticeable with concrete proofs.”
“We have every hope that the Governor, who is the head of the state will heed to our appeal and address our concerns, by not assenting to the Bill on anti-conversion in Karnataka,” he added.