Even as the leaders of Bharatiya Janta Party gone defensive, the issue of conversion in the State took a new twist on Thursday after disclosure of a letter of the Dharam Jagran Samiti, organising the conversion programme. The letter revealed that the Organisation has to spend huge money for these programmes and sought donation in a big way from the workers.
The letter of area chief Rajeshwar Singh, of the Dharam Jagran Manch, an offshoot of Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS),made public on Thursday, revealed that for converting a Muslim to Hindu, it takes Rs five lakh each while for a Christian converting to Hindu Rs two lakh is spent. Singh in his Dharam Jagran Samiti, Paschim Uttar Pradesh area, undated letter head say that during 2014, the organisation held the ‘Ghar Vapsi’ programme in 20 districts of the area for re-conversion of Muslim and Christian to Hindu, in which 40,000 people attended. “We have a target to re-convert one lakh people from Muslim and Christians to Hindu,’ he announced in his letter, adding that there is heavy fund involved in the conversion as converting a Christian takes Rs two lakh expenditure and for a Muslim it was around Rs five lakh. Singh also demanded from the workers to donate generously for the ‘Ghar Vapsi programme’ as heavy fund is required to hold such programmes.
Meanwhile during his interview with a national news channel on Wednesday night, the area chief even went ahead, saying that it was an appropriate time for senior BJP leaders like Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Shahnawaj Hussain and Najma Heptulla to join the ‘ Ghar Vapsi programme. The letter has again created political criticism of the BJP-led Central government, with political parties vindicating their charges of paid conversion in the state by the saffron brigade. However, no BJP leader was ready to speak on the subjectand avoided any comment on the matter.
But Congress leader Amarnath Agarwal and R P Singh , both spokespersons of UP Congress Committee, alleged that these conversions were just an effort by the saffron brigade to communalise the State, helping the party to gain political mileage. UP Minister and SP leader Mohammad Azam Khan too claimed that through conversion, the RSS was conspiring to threaten the minorities in the country.He said during the elections, BJP threatened the Muslims to vote for them or be ready to go to Pakistan and now through these conversion, they are trying to vitiate the atmosphere.
Meanwhile in Agra, the city police carried out several raids to nab Nand Kishore Balmiki, who is named in the FIR lodged in connection with the alleged forced reconversion of over 100 people to Hinduism. led by Superintendent of Police(city), Sameer Saurabh, and ADM City Rajesh Srivastava, police teams carried out raid at RSS office in Madhav Bhawanin area and in Jaipur House colony, where Balmiki was tipped to be hiding. Police officials also visited the slum in Dev Nagar and talked to the people who are at the centre of the row.
Meanwhile, protests by Muslim organisations and Samajwadi Party leaders continued all the day. Hundreds of Muslims blocked traffic at Madina Crossing in Mantola area. The police is also on the alert following reports that Muslim groups from Deoband and Mewat were heading for the city.