Mumbai: A senior Christian leader has appealed to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to reconsider the proposed Freedom of Religion Bill, saying it could harm the state’s long tradition of secular and peaceful coexistence.

Raphael D Souza, former president of the Bombay Catholic Sabha and former secretary general of the All India Catholic Union, wrote an open letter warning that the bill may unfairly target Christian communities and disrupt their long standing humanitarian work in Maharashtra.

In his letter, he said that official data does not support claims of large scale religious conversions. He pointed out that the Christian population in Maharashtra has remained small and even declined over the decades. He added that despite this, attacks on Christians have risen sharply

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