Amid discussion on Anti-Conversion Bill, yet another Church attacked in K'tka

Bengaluru: As a discussion on the Anti-Conversion under the Karnataka Right to Freedom of Religion Bill, 2021 which was table on Tuesday, is going on in the State Assembly today, an incident of church vandalism has been reported from Chikkaballapur district in southern Karnataka.

According to NDTV report, a statue of St Anthony in the 160-year-old St Joseph church situated in Susaipalya - some 65 km from Bengaluru, has been found to be broken which is believed to have been damaged around 5.30 this morning.

The Police are reported to have taken away the broken statue for further investigation.

In recent weeks many Christian prayer meetings in different parts of Karnataka were attacked reportedly by right-wing groups who accused those places of indulging in religious conversions.

Yesterday, over 100 of people took out a protest march in Bengaluru against the Karnataka Right to Freedom of Religion Bill, 2021, commonly known as the anti-conversion Bill. People from at least 40 socio-political organisations participated in the march that commenced from Mysore Bank Circle and ended at Freedom Park.

Home Minister Araga Jnanendra tabled the Bill while Congress leaders objected to the manner in which it was introduced. The Cabinet had cleared the Bill Monday but no official information was shared about introducing it in the House.

The Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) have formally opposed the bill with the former staging a walkout on Tuesday afternoon when the bill was tabled in the assembly.

While the government argued that the Bill is to restrict forced religious conversion, the critics are of the opinion that it is to target minority communities in the state.