As the discussion on the contentious Karnataka anti-conversion bill which was tabled on Tuesday, is ongoing in the state assembly, an incident of church vandalism has been reported from Chikkaballapur district in southern Karnataka.
A statue of St Anthony in the 160-year-old St Joseph church in Susaipalya, located some 65 km from Bengaluru, was found broken which is believed to have been damaged around 5.30 this morning, NDTV reported.
ANI reported that a First Information Report (FIR) has been registered by Chickaballapur rural police station against unknown persons for vandalising St Anthony’s statue at St Joseph’s Church.
There have been a series of attacks on Christians in the state in recent months. According to a People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) report, 39 instances of hate crimes were reported against the community in Karnataka in 2021. The report titled “Criminalizing the Practice of Faith” listed out the 39 incidents. It added in some cases, the police and politicians colluded with Hindutva organisations in carrying out the attacks.
The Karnataka Cabinet Monday approved the anti-conversion bill, criminalising the right to choose one’s faith in the name of ‘forced’ conversion. Titled ‘Karnataka Protection of Right to Religion Bill, 2021’, the bill is likely to be tabled in the Assembly this week.
The Bill, if passed, will allow the state to declare interfaith marriages involving conversion “null and void.”
It proposes up to 10 years of imprisonment for ‘forced’ religious conversion. Imprisonment ranges from 3 to 5 years with a fine of Rs 25,000. For conversion involving a minor, woman or an SC/ST person, the jail term is 3 to 10 years, with a fine of Rs 50,000.
On Wednesday, hundreds of protestors hit the streets of Bengaluru to protest against the bill. A coalition of over 40 organisations took out a protest march, calling for its withdrawal.
