Bengaluru: KPCC president BK Hariprasad Thursday said the Karnataka govt would restore the anti-conversion law to its pre-2022 form, signalling Congress ’s intent to fulfil its poll promise of rolling back the amendments made by the previous BJP govt.
His statement assumes significance as the state govt is yet to make any public announcement on the issue.
We will bring back the pre-2022 anti-conversion law. In the latest appeal, the Archdiocese of Bangalore and Karnataka Rajya Muslim Okkoota convenor Mohammad Yahya Damudi issued a joint statement on Oct 30, demanding that the law be revoked. Led by Machado under the banner ‘Voice of Minorities and the Oppressed Sections of Karnataka’, the protesters submitted a memorandum to the CM’s office, reminding the govt of Congress party’s 2023 assembly election promise to withdraw the laws introduced by the previous BJP govt, protect minority rights and restore social justice measures.
Responding to Dalit and minority groups accusing the Congress govt of reneging on its promise to withdraw the amended law, Hariprasad said: “We will fulfil the commitment made by the party. He said Congress was not founded on caste or religion. “Congress represents entire India and we listen to all views,” he said. Asked whether he was describing the BJP as communal, Hariprasad said the party as a whole could not be termed communal, though some of its members were.
“Unlike BJP, we do not peddle lies or engage in communalism. It is they who harbour religious hatred,” he alleged. The VHP, however, opposed the demand and urged chief minister DK Shivakumar not to withdraw the legislation.