Karnataka will soon have anti-religious conversion bill, announces CM Basavaraj Bommai

"The state administration is investigating analogous regulations adopted by other states," Bommai told reporters, adding that anti-conversion legislation will be prepared soon.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai indicated that the state's anti-religious conversion bill would be enacted shortly. "The state administration is investigating analogous regulations adopted by other states," Bommai told reporters, adding that anti-conversion legislation will be prepared soon. He was responding to a question about a meeting with a group of seers advocating for a ban on religious conversion. According to Mohana Gowda, chairperson of the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, under whose administration the event was organised, around 50 seers from various Hindu religious groups met with Bommai and emphasised the necessity for a law prohibiting religious conversion.

The Chief Minister declared unequivocally that the constitution forbids forced conversion, even through allurement. Later, Gowda stated that among the delegates were Sriram Sena president Pramod Muthalik, Santhosh Guruji, Siddalinga Swami, and Pranavananda Swami. Muthalik was cited as adding that religious conversion is taking place in schools and hospitals. Many unauthorised churches were also springing up around the state, he claimed. The delegates demanded that the converts be denied special benefits for the scheduled caste and other backward classes.

Meanwhile, speaking about the Bitcoin scandal, the Karnataka Chief Minister stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged him not to be concerned about the state's Bitcoin situation.  The Bitcoin incident, according to CM Bommai, was not mentioned at the meeting. When he started telling him about the situation, he said he cut him off and urged him not to worry about it. According to Bommai, Modi asked him to continue serving the people with greater passion and courage.

He went on to add that the conversation with the Prime Minister was excellent and that we covered a lot of material. PM Modi was highly interested in the administration and our actions over the last 100 days. According to Bommai, it was also addressed how things may be improved. Bommai revealed that he had invited the Prime Minister to four programmes in December.