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Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said, on Monday, September 8, that his government will seek legal opinion on the Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Act, popularly known as the anti-conversion law, and decide on further action.
The Chief Minister made these remarks after inaugurating the chariot procession of Blessed Mother Mary from St Mary’s Basilica in Shivajinagar.
The Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Act, 2022, which received the Governor’s assent in September 2022, has faced criticism from the Congress, lawyers, and activists for being harsher than similar laws in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. After the Congress came to power, the state Cabinet in June 2023 announced plans to repeal the law, but the decision was postponed before the Lok Sabha elections.
According to an RTI response obtained by TNM, 30 cases were registered under the Act between May 2022 and June 30, 2024, many of them involving alleged attempts to convert individuals to Christianity.
During the programme, Siddaramaiah also announced that a metro station in the city would be named after St Mary. Stating that the state has already approved the proposal and will recommend it to the Union government, he said that the naming date will be announced after obtaining approval.
Extending greetings to the devotees, Siddaramaiah said he attends the celebration every year and prays for the well-being of all. “Many people take vows in this programme and fulfill them. Everyone prays to Mother Mary for physical and mental health. That is why she is called Arogya Mata [mother of health],” he said.
Reiterating his government’s commitment to pluralism, the Chief Minister said: “Our country has many castes, religions and cultures. We must achieve unity in diversity. Our government is working to eliminate inequality by implementing programmes for the poor of all castes and religions.”
Quoting Basavanna, Gandhi, and Ambedkar, he highlighted compassion and social justice as the guiding values of the Constitution, adding that demands put forward by Archbishop Peter Machado would be considered positively.