The Legislative Committee on Backward Classes and Minorities Welfare in Karnataka has ordered a survey of authorized and unauthorized churches, their priests and registration of complaints regarding forced conversions.
“We have asked the district authorities to give a detailed report on the number of authorized and unauthorized churches and Christian priests,” Gulihatti Shekhar, a member of the committee, said on Friday.
Hosadurga BJP MLA Shekhar had presided over the meeting on Wednesday in the absence of committee chairman Dinkar Keshav Shetty.
The directions were given to district officials, especially in Yadgir, Chidradurga and Vijayapura districts, where conversions reportedly take place on a large scale.
“We have also directed the police to accompany the officers during the survey as the officers were attacked on several occasions,” the BJP MLA said.
Along with this, the district administration has been instructed that whenever there is a complaint of change of religion, a case should be registered.
Shekhar said, “Till now a case was registered against those who filed complaint against conversion but we have asked the police to register a case and conduct a fair investigation on receiving the complaint.”
The third point of the meeting was to deny double benefits to those Scheduled Castes who have converted to Christianity.
“You can’t even take advantage of SCs and minorities. You can have only one,” Shekhar said.
He cited the example of a woman from the Bowie community who has become a Christian. She contested Panchayat elections on Scheduled Caste ticket, won it and became Panchayat President.
Women are taking advantage of the benefits given to the Scheduled Castes as well as the minorities.
“Due to these practices, genuine scheduled caste people are not getting benefits,” Shekhar explained.
The BJP MLA also claimed that religious conversion took place on a large scale among the socially weaker sections, especially the Bowie and Lamani communities.
Congress MLC PR Ramesh told the meeting that the constitutional provisions do not prohibit anyone from professing any religion or choosing the religion of their choice.
“I told the members that if they want this practice to stop, they should first strengthen Hinduism and also bring amendments to the Constitution,” Ramesh said.
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