The bishops, led by Archbishop of Bengaluru Bernard Moras, marched from the Mahatma Gandhi statue to the state secretariat and presented a memorandum to Karnataka Home Minister R Ashoka on their charter of demands, which included protection to Christian minorities and their places of worship.
Ashoka promised the delegation that the government would take steps to withdraw cases against 338 persons in connection with violence following attacks on churches in Mangalore and other places. He said a centralised cell will be set up to receive complaints on attack on churches and pass on the information to the police, to immediately act on such incidents.
Moras, later speaking to reporters, said the agitation demanding that Somasekhara commission of inquiry report be rejected will continue till their demand was met with. He also demanded compensation to those affected in the attacks and for damaged property of churches and that the guilty be brought to book.
On January 28, the commission in its report had given a clean chit to the Yeddyurappa government and Sangh Parivar outfits in the attacks on churches. It had cited circulation of derogatory literature with "insulting attitude" against Hindus and issues of conversion as the main reasons for the attacks.
It also said there were clear indications of conversions in seven districts by a few organisations and "self-styled or self-appointed pastors" by "inducements" and as "a commercial bargain using unaccounted local and foreign funds".
