After the incident, security was provided at the church in Belagavi
Bengali language:
A man armed with a machete burst into a church in Belagavi of Karnataka yesterday afternoon and chased the priest in charge.
CCTV footage of the incident shows the man with a machete following Father Francis D’souza, in charge of the church. When he was discovered, the priest was seen moving away. The armed intruder followed him for a bit but then fled. The man was also seen carrying an electrical cord, but it is unclear why he was carrying it.
The incident occurred the day before the Council met for the Winter Session in Belagavi. The bill against religious conversion, which is opposed by the Opposition and Christian organizations, will be presented in this session of the National Assembly.
Following a police complaint about Sunday’s incident, security was provided at the church and an investigation has begun.
A senior police officer told NDTV, “A cover of security has been placed around the church. We have CCTV footage. The investigation is underway.”
JA Kanthraj, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Bangalore, called the incident a “dangerous and disturbing development”.
In September this year, after meeting with 30 Hindu religious leaders, Premier Karnataka Basavaraj S Bommai said that the state will soon have laws against religious conversion and that the government is considering such laws in other states. another to make laws.
The move was opposed by the opposition Parliament. State Premier DK Shivakumar has alleged that the law is aimed at Christians and it will be aimed at attracting investment into the state.
Opposing the move, the Archbishop of Bengaluru, Peter Machado, wrote to Minister Bommai and urged him not to push for the act.
He wrote: “The entire Christian Community in Karnataka opposes the Proposition of the Anti-Conversion Bill and questions the need to do so when there are sufficient laws and court directives to oversee any any deviation of the applicable laws”.
Citing Articles 25 and 26 of the constitution, the archbishop said that introducing such laws would violate the rights of citizens, especially those of minority communities.
“The Anti-Conversion Bill will become a tool for fringe elements to embrace their own laws and ignite the atmosphere with community unrest in another state of peace,” said Archbishop write.
He also questioned the Karnataka government’s order to conduct a survey of official and unofficial Christian missionaries and organizations and institutions operating in the state.
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