Karnataka governor slams judicial commission report on church attacks

Mtoday news

Bangalore, Feb 6: Karnataka governor HR Bhardwaj today said he is "disturbed" by the Justice BK Somasekhara Commission report on the church attacks of 2008 in the state as the entire Christian community thinks that "no justice has been done to them".

 

Bhardwaj said he had received a synopsis of the report and not a full copy. "And I am disturbed about it," he said. He was responding to questions on his withholding Bangalore University’s (BU) proposal to confer an honorary degree on noted Kannada writer M Chidananda Murthy, which has generated a controversy.
Bhardwaj, chancellor of the universities in the state, justified his decision to "temporarily withhold" the proposal, saying a newspaper report has stated that Murthy, a former Professor of Kannada at BU and a historian, endorsed the commission’s report and also talked about religious conversions in the State.

The governor said a decision on clearing his name for an honorary degree was withheld to "check his antecedents" and "to verify" and ensure that he (Bhardwaj) does not get involved in any controversy as head of the state. "I have held it (back) temporarily," he said.

Bhardwaj said he is not disputing the fact that Murthy may be a good writer, thinker and scholar. But, ".....at this critical juncture, when the entire Christian community is upset that no justice has been done to them (in the commission report), at least my duty is to look after them (Christians)".

He said there is a newspaper report stating that Murthy justified the Commission report and talked about conversions. "I don’t see any conversion in the State", Bhardwaj said.

Murthy said he was shocked by the governor’s decision and asserted that he never justified the attacks. He said the governor has been misled by somebody to believe that he (Murthy) is pro-RSS and pro-BJP.

"Attacks on places of worship, whether it’s a church or temple is wrong. The governor’s decision is not right. He has to realise it," Murthy reacted.