Karnataka Faith Leaders Press for Law’s Repeal
In Bengaluru, Archbishop Machado and Muslim leaders cite Congress’s broken manifesto pledge and press for action on hate speech and cattle bans.
On October 29 in Bengaluru, capital of the southern Indian state of Karnataka, Christian and Muslim leaders joined human rights advocates at a joint press conference calling for the immediate repeal of the Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Act, 2022—widely known as the state’s anti-conversion law.
The delegation was led by the Most Rev. Peter Machado, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Bangalore, and Mohammed Yahya Damudi, convener of the Karnataka Rajya Muslim Okkoota. They pressed the Indian National Congress government to honor its electoral promise to scrap the legislation. Machado recalled the party’s manifesto commitment that, if it came to power, it would withdraw the laws immediately.
The act was passed in 2022 under the previous Bharatiya Janata Party administration amid intense civil society protests. A Congress-led government later unseated the BJP after campaigning to restore minority protections, yet has hesitated to repeal the measure formally. Leaders said the party has been wary of appearing too eager to overturn all contentious bills of its predecessor, anticipating backlash from the majority Hindu electorate.
Broader Demands and Context
Beyond the conversion statute, the speakers demanded reversal of strict cattle-slaughter bans and urged the state to put in place robust mechanisms against rampant hate speech. They framed the package of laws as continuing to frighten minority communities even after the change in government.
Over the past decade, 13 Indian states—most of them BJP-ruled—have enacted stringent anti-conversion laws. Petitions challenging such statutes before the Supreme Court have remained pending for a long time, leaving religious minorities without a definitive judicial resolution.
Organizers also announced a public rally in Bengaluru on November 9 to renew pressure for repeal of the anti-conversion law and fulfillment of Congress manifesto promises on minority protections. Minority leaders insisted the state government must protect Christians and Muslims from hate crimes and restore the freedoms they say the 2022 framework curtails.
For the Catholic community in Karnataka, the archbishop’s public stance underscores the Church’s concern for religious liberty and the right of persons to embrace the faith without state intimidation—concerns shared in this instance with Muslim partners who likewise see the law as a threat to conscience and communal peace.