The State reportedly takes the foremost position in connection with cases of persecution of Christians, according to a report of the Catholic Secular Forum (CSF). The former Judge of the Bombay and Karnataka High Courts Michael Saldanha told presspersons here on Wednesday that of the 200 most severe instances of anti-Christian violence in the country in 2013, the State accounted for 43, followed by Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh where 25 incidents each were documented last year.
Mr. Saldanha said that the incidents involved murder, assault, rape, church attacks and prosecution for “forced conversion”, according to the report. “Karnataka continues to suffer the legacy of saffronisation left behind by the earlier BJP government,” he alleged. He demanded that the cases filed against pastors for “forceful conversion” be revisited.
CSF general secretary Joseph Dias said that several serious incidents of anti-Christian violence in the State are documented in the report. A CSF delegation, including Mr. Saldanha and Mr. Dias, met Governor Hans Raj Bhardwaj and demanded action.
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