Bengaluru – โA defence of religious โคconversions offered โby Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah sparked a โฃpolitical firestorm Friday, drawing sharp criticismโข from the Bharatiya janata Party (BJP) โคwho โaccused his management of โbeing “anti-Hindu.” The controversy erupted followingโค Siddaramaiah’s remarks regarding conversions as a response to societal inequalities.The โexchange underscoresโฃ the ongoing tensions โsurrounding religious freedom and social justice in Karnataka, a state โฃwith a history of communal sensitivity.The BJP’s swift condemnation highlights the potential for โthe issue to โescalate into aโฃ broaderโฃ political conflict, particularly as theโ state navigatesโข complex โsocio-religious dynamics. The debate โคcenters onโ whether addressing โขsocial โdisparitiesโค justifies religious conversion,โฃ and whether such conversions are driven by genuine faith or coercion.
Earlier this week, Siddaramaiah โฃdefendedโ religious conversions, stating thatโข they โoccurโฃ when individuals seek to escape โฃthe constraints of a caste-based โsociety.โฃ Responding โคtoโ this, the Janataโฃ Dal (Secular) [JD(S)] postedโ on X (formerlyโฃ Twitter), “If there was equalityโฆof inequality is none othre than theโ Congress party.”
Theโ BJP swiftly echoed this sentiment, alleging โขthat the Congress-led government is actively promoting policies detrimental to the โขHindu community. Partyโ leaders โhaveโฃ called forโฃ a thorough investigation into alleged โinstances of forced conversions โand โdemanded stricter โขlaws to prevent them.
Saurabh verma of News18.com reported the initial โฃexchange. Theโค article was first published โคSeptember 15, 2023, at 14:19 IST.