BJP against forceful conversions: Shah

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 20

BJP president Amit Shah today asserted that his party was against forced conversions and asked other political parties to support a Bill to crackdown on them.

The conversions row has stalled work in Parliament, with a united Opposition attacking the ruling BJP on faith conversions and demanding a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “The BJP is against forceful conversions and that is why we want to bring a law.

The so-called secular parties should support BJP’s move,” Shah was quoted as saying in Kerala—a state where 45 per cent of the population belongs to the minority community Christians and Muslims. Shah was in Kerala to inaugurate a mega membership campaign programme of the party there.

On whether the BJP was ready to talk to minority organisations on this issue, Shah said a public debate on the matter could be taken up after arriving at a consensus among political parties. Regarding the “ghar wapsi” programme by pro-Hindu groups in Uttar Pradesh, he said the matter was before the court so he did not want to comment on it.

Kerala is a state where the BJP has minimal presence and its mission there, interestingly, is “zero to 71”. Notably the saffron party has zero representation in state both in the 20 Lok Sabha and the 140-member Assembly.

Back anti-conversion law: Bhagwat to Oppn 

Kolkata: Defending the controversial campaign of the Sangh Parivar, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat (pic) dared the opposition to support a law banning religious conversions. He also asked the other minorities not to convert Hindus if they also do not want to come back to Hinduism.

100 Christian families embrace Hinduism 

Ahmedabad: About 100 Christian families were reconverted into Hinduism at Kaprala village in Valsad district of Gujarat. VHP sources claimed that all families originally were Hindus and they agreed to reconvert "at their own free will". VHP international president Pravin Togadiya had recently stated that all Christians and Muslims in India were "originally Hindus." TNS