The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Corporation serves notice to churches

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Sunday, Sep 07, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Corporation serves notice to churches

Special Correspondent

Corporation has asked for documents
Church authorities say they even have khata

BANGALORE: A fresh controversy has arisen with the Davangere City Corporation on Saturday issuing an interim directive-cum-notice terming three church buildings in its jurisdiction as unauthorised and asking the church authorities to vacate within three days.

In the directive, the corporation said permission had not been taken from it for the construction of church buildings. It asked the church authorities to furnish documents to it along with explanation if they failed to vacate the buildings in question within three days.

But the church authorities said they had “all the relevant documents”. Pastor Rajashekhar told The Hindu that even the khata for the land had been obtained.

Meanwhile, the priests of these three churches, which faced repeated attacks since mid-August from two Hindu organisations, took up the issue with the State Human Rights Commission by lodging a complaint on Saturday.

The complaint was lodged in the wake of the alleged threats issued by the Hindu Jagarana Vedike that it would “force the churches to be vacated” on Sunday if the district authorities did not act against what it alleged were “unauthorised” churches.

Pastors Rajashekhar and Dencil said the commission assured them of looking into the issue.

On Friday, they had appealed to the Karnataka State Minorities’ Commission and the State police to provide protection.

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