Christian leaders ask Kharge to push Karnataka anti-conversion law repeal, 1% quota
A delegation of Christian leaders from Karnataka, headed by Archbishop of Bangalore Most Rev. Dr. Peter Machado, met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge at his Bengaluru residence on Monday and urged him to press for the repeal of the Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Act, popularly known as the anti-conversion law, besides seeking a 1 per cent exclusive reservation for Christians.
The delegation raised a range of issues concerning the Christian community, including greater political and administrative representation, nomination of a Christian representative to the Karnataka Legislative Council, and adequate representation on government boards, corporations and other statutory and nominated bodies.
The Christian leaders also sought 1 per cent exclusive reservation for the community under the Backward Class category, arguing that sections of the community continue to face socio-economic challenges. They urged the government to improve opportunities in education, employment and other areas of development.
A key demand placed before Kharge was the repeal of the 2021 Freedom of Religion legislation. The delegation expressed concerns over the law's provisions and their perceived impact on the constitutional rights of citizens to practise and propagate their faith.
According to the delegation, Kharge listened to the concerns in detail and assured the representatives that he would take up the issues with Karnataka government leaders. He also promised to provide necessary directions for consideration of the demands and appropriate action.
The delegation comprised Archbishop Peter Machado, Bishop of Mangalore Rev. Dr. Peter Paul, Bishop of Mysore Rev. Dr. Francis Serrao, Rev. Fr. Arun Lewis SJ, Director of Ashirwad, Praveen Peter, Anthony Vikram, and J.A. Kanthraj, PRO and spokesperson of the Archdiocese of Bangalore.
The delegation thanked Kharge for meeting them and expressed hope that the Karnataka government would give due consideration to the demands raised.- EndsPublished By: Nitish SinghPublished On: Sep 15, 2026 01:09 IST
