State assisting conversions of Hindu SCs and OBCs in AP: LRPF

Amaravati: Demanding investigation into the financial assistance given by the government to pastors as part of the COVID-19 relief fund, Legal Rights Protection Forum (LRPF) lodged a complaint with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and National Commission for Backward Classes.

Based on the evidence accessed through the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the Forum revealed that about 29,000 pastors got the relief fund, those who belonged to Hindu SC and OBC communities. The Forum found that it was illegal and against the provisions of the Constitution. By violating these rules, the State Government has been encouraging religious conversions by way of giving financial incentives, it was alleged.

They requested the Commission to launch an immediate enquiry into the whole issue and send a high-power fact-finding committee to the State to study the issue of misuse of reservation benefits of SCs, OBCs and help the genuine SCs to utilise their legitimate constitutional benefits.

In their complaint, they explained, "The State government resorted to large-scale misuse of public funds in the matter of payment of monthly salary or honorarium to converted Christians from Hindu SC and OBCs holding dual religious identities. This is also leading to misuse of Constitutional safeguards and reservations by converted Christians."

The payment of monthly salary to Christian pastors is a declared objective of the present government in the State and the amount of Rs. 5000 paid now is not a fixed amount and is the minimum amount as per the election manifesto of the ruling party. Hence, in future, the amount of money paid to eligible Christian pastors is likely to be much higher.

It explained that out of the total beneficiaries under the Christian religion, there was only 19.19 per cent from Christians, 58.14 per cent from SCs, 13.37 per cent from OBCs and another 9.3 per cent from others. In other words, out of the total benefitted pastors, only 19.19 per cent were Christians and about 80.81 per cent were Hindus. The Forum alleged that it was nothing but encouraging conversions from Hindu religion to Christianity.

The Forum argued that the majority of the Pastors are holding Hindu caste certificates and obtained one-time relief honorarium of Rs 5,000 per each.

BB Prasad, an activist of the Forum explained, "For instance, out of the total 49 beneficiaries at Krosur mandal in Guntur district, only eight were Christian and eight were BC-C and 33 were SCs, three from OBCs and five from others.