BANGALORE: Well known researcher Dr M Chidananda Murthy has urged the State Government to bring a stringent legislation to ban religious conversions in the state.
Addressing a press conference on Saturday, Murthy said that Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa had assured to bring a legislation to ban religious conversions soon. If there was no progress in this regard within a month, Murthy said he along with a few organisations would sit on a hunger strike.
States like Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat had already banned religious conversion. Even the Supreme Court had upheld the Prohibition of Religious Conversions Act of Madhya Pradesh which was in place since 1968. So there should be no problem for the state government to bring such a legislation , Murthy said.
He also called upon Opposition, particularly Congress, to support the State Government in this regard as the subject was not confined to any political party.
He also took a strong exception to the efforts of some sections of Lingayats to project Veerashaiva as a separate religion. "It is sad that this is happening. Veerashaiva community is a religious denomination of Hindu religion," Murthy said while requesting those propagating this idea to drop it keeping in mind the unity of the Hindu religion. "The division in Hindus will help religious conversions," he added.
Welcomed
He expressed happiness over the decision of the State Government to erect a statue of Sir K P Puttanna Chetty in front of Town Hall.
"It is good that the government has taken an initiative to bring up a statue of K P Puttanna Chetty in the city. He has contributed a lot to the development of the city," Murthy said.
