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K’taka outfit seeks police protection for churches ahead of Christmas
BJP state spokesperson Ganesh Karnik, however, said: “The party has not indulged in any violence, but it only wants to bring a bill that stops forced conversions in the state. The report is not factual.”
The Akhila Bharatha Christha Mahasabha has submitted a memorandum to director general and inspector general of police Praveen Sood “seeking protection” during Christmas celebration in the state. A delegation asked the state police chief to provide security to the churches across the state, fearing attacks on the same.
“Since the enactment of the anti-conversion law, the Christian community is reeling under attacks and facing criminal charges. The community across the globe will celebrate Christmas from December 1 till new year, singing carols and conducting special prayers as customary practices. However, considering the present situation, Christians are apprehensive of participating in carol singing and visiting the houses of church members during night for good wishes as they may face attacks,” the letter read .
“Hence, we request the director general and inspector general of police to issue necessary directions to the district police heads and jurisdictional police stations to ensure necessary protection to help the community to celebrate the festival peacefully,” said the letter.
According to a report by People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Karnataka reported 39 incidents of hate crimes against the Christian community in 2021.
The report, titled ‘Criminalizing the Practice of Faith’, listed out the 39 incidents claiming that in some cases “the police department and some politicians colluded with right-wing organisations in carrying out these attacks”. BJP state spokesperson Ganesh Karnik, however, said: “The party has not indulged in any violence, but it only wants to bring a bill that stops forced conversions in the state. The report is not factual.”
“Given the frequency and intensity of these attacks, our report relies on the Christian community’s narratives of surviving majoritarian violence. The members of the Christian community especially in rural Karnataka continue to face threats of violence, discrimination, and survival during their everyday lives,” the report alleged.
According to PUCL, the report documented attacks on pastors, believers, and churches in Karnataka, the modus operandi of the groups behind these attacks and the patterns that emerge from these attacks.
According to the report, in most cases, Christians have been “forced to shut down their places of worship and stopped from assembling for their Sunday prayers”. “Effectively, these attacks on praying in a gathering that is enforced by Hindutva groups with the complicity of the state function as a bar on the freedom to practice religion itself. Far from the right to propagate religion, today the attacks in Karnataka are on the right to freely profess and practise religion,” read the report.
The report listed several right-wing organisations, alleging their role in the attack and claimed that two MLAs of the ruling BJP were also involved in the attacks. “In two instances of hate crimes in Karwar (October 4) and Mandya (January 25), BJP MLA Sunil Kumar and 3-time BJP MLA Narayana Gowda (currently minister of state for youth empowerment and sports, planning, program monitoring, and statistics) were also named as people who supported the police in targeting Christians,” the report said.
While the two BJP legislators were not available for comments, BJP spokesperson Karnik denied these allegations. “Leaders mentioned in the report, especially Sunil Kumar, are leaders are who are bringing the cadre together in Karnataka for BJP, and this is an attempt to tarnish their reputation,” he said.
