New Delhi: A day after the Karnataka education department has issued a show cause notice to Clarence High School in Bengaluru, where it was alleged that the school has made reading the Bible mandatory for all students, Bengaluru Archbishop Peter Machado on Thursday said that no student of other religion has become Christian in the school.
Expressing that he was hurt by the way the education department handled handling the issue, Rev Peter said, "Education department has ordered an inquiry about whether the Bible is used or religion is taught in our (Christian) schools. We can bravely say that no student of other religion has become Christian in our school."
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He asserted that Non-Christian students are not required to read Bible and no Bible instructions for them. "Education Min said Bhagavad Gita will be introduced next year as its moral education text, while Bible & Quran are supposed to be religious texts so they will not be allowed," he said, as quoted by news agency ANI.
Earlier, the school principal Jerry George Matthew said, "We're aware that some people are upset about one of the policies of our school. We're a peace-loving & law-abiding school. We've consulted our advocates on this matter & we'll follow their advice. We won't break law of the land."
Hindu Janajagruti Samiti state spokesperson Mohan Gowda claimed that non-Christian students are being forced to read Bible. The controversy sparked when one of the points in the application form reads that the parents should declare that they affirm to not object to carrying a Bible to the school.