This is what Australia's Hindu and Sikh communities have to say about Religious Discrimination Bill

Hindu Council of Australia has expressed a mixed view on the Religious Discrimination Bill passed in parliament early Thursday. Vice-President of Hindu Council Surinder Jain said there was a need for this Bill to protect religious freedom in the country. However, he said the Bill in its current form provides religious organisations with an opportunity to exploit its provisions to hire people from their faiths over the others in schools, aged care and hospitals run by them. The Australian Sikh Association Chairman Ravinderjit Singh expressed his community's concerns over section 12 of the Bill. Mr Singh said the chances are that the Sikh community could face discrimination under section 12 or religious statement of belief. Listen to the podcast to hear their views.

representative image. Source: SAEED KHAN/AFP via Getty Images/Dinodia Photo

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