In the backdrop of row surrounding the alleged conversions in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Badal on Friday echoed the stand of the BJP and called for bringing anti-conversion law.
Sukhbir also appealed to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to call an all party meeting to allay apprehensions of minorities on the issue of religious conversions. “The Prime Minister should call an all party meeting to allay apprehensions of minorities on the issue of religious conversions…The Government should also frame a law to restrict such conversions,” he said.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu, a day before, had stated in the House, “Some people are allergic to the word Hindu...let there be anti-conversion laws in all States, let there be an anti-conversion law at the Centre.”
Sukhbir said that religious conversions could add to communal tensions and the matter should be “handled sensitively”.
Responding to a query regarding demand of some Sikh organisations for amendment to Section 25 (B) of the Constitution, which includes Sikhs as a part of Hindu community, Sukhbir said, “It is universally known fact that Sikhs have a distinct identity.”
“Sikhism is an independent race and the entire community has the same stand on this issue. There is no need for any second opinion on this issue,” he said.
Regarding the release of Sikh prisoners languishing in different jails across the country after completion of their terms of life imprisonment, Sukhbir said that he has already written to the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh requesting him to take up the issue of release of Sikh detainees in jails outside Punjab.
Even as he clarified that life imprisonment implied a jail term for the convict’s entire life and not imprisonment for 14 or 20 years and the remission could be awarded only by powers vested with Governors of the States.
“The Supreme Court had imposed a stay on releasing any detainees under the premature release policy in the entire country and because of that nothing could be done as of now at the state level,” he said.
Sukhbir said: “Still, on compassionate grounds, we are trying to do as much as possible and Attorney General (AG) of the state will be asked to take up the case with the Apex Court so as to work out a remedial course of action.”
In context of the recent alleged desecration of the ‘saroop’ (copy) of Guru Granth Sahib in a village of Tarn Taran district, Sukhbir said that a special investigating team (SIT) has been constituted under Amritsar Police Commissioner and SSP-rank official will support the commissioner police for an early enquiry.
“SIT will put up its report within 48 hours, thereafter the perpetrator of the blasphemous act would be brought to book,” he said.