Pejawar seer Vishwaprasanna Theertha Swamiji’s demands for more stringent laws on religious conversion and cow slaughter have stirred a debate in Karnataka.
The state’s ruling BJP government had enacted and implemented an anti-conversion Act and an anti-cow slaughter law. However, there has been consistent fear-mongering over these much needed laws, especially the anti-conversion Act which aims to stop forced conversions and marriage for the sake of conversion – transgressions which are disturbing peace and harmony across the nation. A delegation of Christian religious leaders have made a submission to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai asking for the withdrawal of the anti-conversion Act.
Playing to its radical minoritarian vote-bank, the opposition Congress has said that the two legislations will be repealed if it comes to power following the Assembly polls this year.
However, the influential Pejawar seer during his visit to the Raghavendra Matha in Hassan on Monday stated that though the government has enacted the legislations, incidents related to the two issues are still taking place.
“The government should give special attention to make the laws in this regard more powerful. The governments are enacting laws as per the demands of the people. But, these are becoming an eye wash. There is a need to implement the law in this direction in its true spirit.
“Despite the Anti-Conversion Act, the forceful religious conversions have not stopped. Families are being divided leading to loss of lives and growing hatred. The government should make special efforts to make the existing law more powerful,” the seer stated.
He further claimed that cow slaughtering is also continuing in the state, adding that “many people eke their livelihood out of selling cow milk. Their cows are being taken away for slaughtering”.
“The government and the police department should take stringent action in this regard to prevent such developments… Only then peace and harmony are possible in the society.”
(With IANS inputs)
