Christians across Karnataka felt betrayed after the Karnataka Legislative Council on Thursday passed the Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill, 2021, or the ‘Anti-Conversion Bill’ by a voice vote, after the Congress staged a walkout.
However, as there is a strong objection filed in the Supreme Court and High Court of Karnataka, Christians have refrained from commenting on the bill, though Archbishop of Bangalore Peter Machado, who was in Hyderabad on Thursday, had expressed deep concern to a section of media.
“Entire Christian Community in Karnataka is deeply disturbed and greatly pained at the passing of the Bill ‘Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion - 2021’ which is now an Act. The community feels betrayed for all its selfless services to the society in the fields of education, health and social service,” a release by Archdiocese of Bangalore has stated.
“The contents of the Act remain bitter, brutal and abrasive in its nature from what was introduced as a Bill nine months back and now translated into an Act.”
“The Metropolitan Archbishop Peter Machado, the bishops of Karnataka, all Christian leaders, and others who uphold the secular fabric of our democratic society will take a decision to find a legal recourse and challenge the Act in its totality,” PRO and spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Bangalore JA Kanthraj said in a statement which was released on Friday.
Since the objection to the Bill is already pending before the Supreme Court and the High Court, Christian leaders including the archbishop and bishops have refrained from commenting further on this matter.
