Karnataka Congress tells protesters that govt will repeal BJP-era anti-conversion law

The Karnataka Congress government will repeal the amendments made to the anti-conversion law by the previous BJP government in 2022, KPCC president BK Hariprasad announced on Thursday, November 12. The announcement came as religious minority groups, Dalit organisations and human rights activists gathered at Freedom Park in Bengaluru, demanding the repeal of the anti-conversion law and the Karnataka cow slaughter ban law. Hariprasad promised that the amendment will be taken up during the upcoming Winter Session of the State Legislature in Belagavi in December.Around 1,500 people attended the convention organised by the Voice of Minorities and the Oppressed Sections of Karnataka, which brought together Christian and Muslim religious leaders, farmers' groups, civil society representatives and human rights activists. The gathering also called on the Congress government to fulfil the promises made in its 2023 Assembly election manifesto.Speaking at a press conference in Bengaluru, Hariprasad said the government would restore the anti-conversion law to its pre-2022 position. He was responding to questions about protests by minority and Dalit organisations demanding that the Congress government honour its electoral commitments."We will fulfil the promises we have made. The anti-conversion law will be brought back to the way it was before 2022," Hariprasad said.At Freedom Park, one of the key demands raised by the gathering was the repeal of the Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Act, 2022, commonly known as the anti-conversion law. The organisers also sought the withdrawal of cases registered under the Act, citing the Congress Cabinet's decision in June 2023 to repeal it.TNM reported in June 2026 that 25 cases had been registered under the new anti-conversion law, and most when the Congress was in power. Read- https://www.thenewsminute.com/karnataka/25-cases-in-3-years-the-anti-conversion-law-problem-congress-refuses-to-fix-in-karnatakaThe convention also demanded the repeal of the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act, 2020, arguing that the legislation had adversely affected the livelihoods of farmers, cattle traders, transporters and others dependent on the cattle trade.An investigation by TNM in 2022 had exposed how the law put farmers at a disadvantage burdening them with old cattle. Read- https://www.thenewsminute.com/karnataka/burdened-old-cows-farmers-speak-out-against-karnataka-s-anti-cattle-slaughter-law-163437Participants called for legal and administrative action against hate speech, communal incitement, attacks on religious minorities and mob violence, irrespective of the religion or identity of those responsible. They also urged the government to safeguard constitutional rights, religious freedom, equality and dignity, particularly for vulnerable communities.The convention was addressed by Archbishop of Bengaluru Peter Machado and Mufti R Mohammed Hisain Sab, vice-president of Jamiat Ulama Karnataka. Social activist Shiv Sundar, CPI(M) leader Neela and Dalit leader Mavalli Shankar were among the other speakers.Addressing the gathering, Machado said the anti-conversion law introduced by the previous BJP government criminalised the existence of religious minorities and went against the spirit of Article 25 of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of conscience and the right to profess, practise and propagate religion."We do not want rights beyond what the Constitution provides. The rights guaranteed by the Constitution are enough for us," he said.Machado questioned the need for a separate law when existing police laws were sufficient to maintain law and order. He also said religious minorities were not second-class citizens and highlighted the contribution of Christian institutions through schools and hospitals serving people across communities.At the conclusion of the convention, the organisers submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, urging the government to honour its electoral commitments and announce a time-bound action plan.