AICC slams amendment to Gujarat's anti–conversion bill

The All India Christian Council (AICC) has denounced the Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Bill 2006, calling it "anti–people, highly discriminatory and divisive."

An AICC delegation consisting of Dr. Abraham Mathai, Maulana Gulam, Samson Christian and Bhausar Kiranbhai met the Governor of Gujarat, His Excellency, Nawal Kishore Sharma, recently, voicing their objections in a memorandum submitted to the Governor.

"In passing this act, the Chief Minister Mr. Narendra Modi has carried out his saffronisation to its final limit. His new rules under the anti conversion act originally passed in March 2003 are anti–people, highly discriminatory and divisive. Under the rules, Buddhism and Jainism are regarded as 'denominations of Hinduism', despite fundamental differences in the basic tenets of each of these religions, and protests from the communities that they are being robbed of their identity," AICC stated.

"There seems a sinister agenda to create mutual suspicion and therefore division among the denominations of particular minority religions," it added, noting that Chief Minister Modi has till now failed to deliver justice to the victims of the Gujarat carnage of 2002.

"In the light of this anti people, anti minority and sinister Act that will come for your kind assent we plead that you kindly refer it to the constitutional legal experts and wait on it until such time that your Excellency is fully convinced that it is not in violation of Constitutional guarantees that our noble constitution gives to all its citizens," AICC concluded.