Karnataka govt seriously considering law against religious conversion

The Karnataka government is seriously considering bringing in a law against religious conversion either by force or through inducement in the state, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Tuesday.

"Such things (conversions) are happening here and there. Couple of days ago I gave appropriate directions to district administrations not to allow any religious conversion through inducement or by force, as it is illegal," Bommai said in response to a question on alleged incidents of religious conversions in Kalaburagi and Byadarahalli here.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, "as several such incidents are happening, we are seriously considering a law against religious conversion through inducement or by force."

State Home Minister Araga Jnanendra had last week told the legislative assembly that the government was mulling enacting a law to regulate religious conversion, as a ruling BJP MLA from Hosadurga Goolihatti Shekhar said his own mother has converted to Christianity falling prey to inducement. BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh already have laws to prevent forcible religious conversion.