AP Chief Minister puts aside Christian Property Board Draft Bills

The controversial Christian Property Board Bills that would place Christian institutions and churches under scrutiny and lose of control, will not be applicable to Christians in Andhra Pradesh said its Chief Minister, Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.

On Dec. 17, the Minister assured the Churches that the government will not bring about any bill relating to the Christian community that restricts the freedom of religion or organisations, without first consulting the Church elders and stake holders.

This Government would not do anything to throttle the rights of the Minority Communities, the Chief Minister reiterated.

"No stone will be left unturned to secure equal rights to the Dalit Christians and obtain the SC statues to them," he added.

Extending security to the lives of the Christian minorities who are subjected to attacks in several places, Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy came forward to provide assistance to the pilgrims to the Holy Land.

"The resolute protest staged by the Churches in Andhra Pradesh resulted in the State Government putting the two Draft Proposal Bills in the cold storage," said the Executive Secretary, A.P. Federation of Churches, Father Anthoniraj Thumma.

The Andhra Pradesh Federation of Churches (APFC), which is a state–level ecumenical Body of the Bishops and Heads of Churches in A.P., and the Andhra Pradesh Bishops Council (APBC) of the Catholic Church earlier, had mounted a strong protest against the bill.