K'taka to soon enact law on religious conversions

Bengaluru, Nov 13 (IANS) Coming under pressure from Hindu outfits and religious pontiffs, the Karnataka government is all set to enact a law on religious conversions soon, according to sources.The Sri Ram Sena has warned that it would launch a statewide agitation if the ruling BJP government in Karnataka doesn't enact a law to ban forceful conversions.Sources in the BJP confirmed that the government is all set to make a law in this regard and the bill will be mooted in the coming winter session scheduled to be held in Suvarna Soudha at Belagavi next month.Seers of various mutts have appealed to the state government for implementing the act. Sri Ram Sena Chief Pramod Muthalik who met Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday, warned that if the state government fails to enact the law, all Hindu religious seers in Karnataka would launch the agitation. According to Muthalik, "religious conversions are taking place from the period of the British".Chief Minister Bommai responded positively to the demand, saying: "The Karnataka government is already studying the laws passed by some states in this regard. Karnataka would soon come out with its own act."He added that Constitution is clear against conversions by means of force and inducements. "I have spoken against this in the past too," he maintained.The issue of religious conversions was raised by Hosadurga BJP MLA Goolihatti Shekar during the Monsoon session. He had claimed that thousands have been converted in his constituency and missionaries' have foisted rape and atrocity cases on those who questioned conversion activities.Later, he had organised a 'Ghar wapsi' programme in his constituency to bring back Hindus from Christianity.
--IANS mka/ksk/

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