BJP chief Amit Shah says conversion row won’t deflect Modi Govt’s focus
Against the backdrop of the controversy surrounding the re-conversion bid by some Sangh Parivar outfits, the BJP leadership on Sunday asserted that nothing would derail the NDA Government from its development agenda. The party has also made it clear that a law against conversion would not be brought about without building “a larger consensus on it”.
Strongly rebutting the claim that the conversion row may deflect the Modi Government’s focus from its development plank, BJP president Amit Shah asserted that the Modi Government was clear about its agenda.
“The BJP has made its stand clear on conversions. And no one can derail the party (Government) from its development agenda,” Shah told a Press conference at Chennai. He was replying to a question whether the campaign by some fringe groups on the conversion issue would affect the development agenda of the Narendra Modi Government.
Asked repeatedly about the involvement of RSS in the matter, Shah evaded a direct reply and said, “RSS is a nationalist organisation and I have no doubt about its activities.” Seeking to corner the Government on the ‘ghar wapsi’ campaign in parts of north India, the Opposition parties stalled proceedings in the Rajya Sabha the entire last week demanding a statement from Modi.
Shah, who is on a two-day visit to Chennai, also said the BJP’s stand on forced conversions was clear and the Government was ready to bring a law to ban them. “The BJP is clear about its stand on forced conversions. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu has said in Parliament that the Government is ready to bring in a law against forced conversions. Are the so-called secular parties ready to support itIJ” he asked.
Against the backdrop of conversion debate and re-conversion programme by RSS outfits in UP and Kerala, Vishva Hindu Parishad on Sunday claimed they never wanted to convert the world but only to “win over its heart”.
Speaking at a book launch here, VHP patron Ashok Singhal said it was due to their “struggle” in the last 50 years that Hindus have “regained” the lost “empire” of Delhi after 800 years. “Our culture and religion were subjugated and we struggled. In 800 years, a day has now come in which we can say we have a Government, which is committed to protecting Hindutva. Our values will be gradually established in the country.
“We want an invincible Hindu society which works for the world’s welfare according to these values... We have never gone out to convert the world but to win over their heart,” Singhal said, apparently referring to the recent row over conversion.
Meanwhile, a batch of 30 people belonging to eight families of Dalit Christians were reportedly “re-converted” to Hinduism under the auspices of Vishva Hindu Parishad in the Alappuzha district on Sunday. This followed the earlier reported attempts to re-convert Muslims in Uttar Pradesh. The ritual of “ghar wapsi” (homecoming) was reportedly held at a local temple at Kanichanallor.
VHP leader Prathap G Padikkal, who arranged the re-conversion function, told PTI that the families “expressed their desire to come back to Hinduism” and VHP “only facilitated the return”.
He said another 150 families in the district have expressed their wish to embrace Hinduism and VHP would arrange their “homecoming” also, he said. Meanwhile, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said a law against conversion would not be brought about without “a larger consensus on it”.
Asked about RSS head Mohan Bhagwat’s comments in favour of bringing in a law against religious conversion, Naidu said the Government would not bring any law against conversion without a larger consensus on it.
“The BJP had already announced that it would be right to bring a law against conversion as per the prevailing situation in the country.
“But, that is possible only when there is general consensus. Without consensus, the Government would not bring any such law. An advice is given. Everybody has got the right to give advice. There is a right to write. You have the right to make commentary,” he said in Hyderabad.
But building consensus is not an easy task on this issue. The CPI(M) Politburo on Sunday said there was no need for a separate anti-conversion law as there were already provisions under the IPC to put a check on forcible conversions. Accusing the BJP and the RSS of playing double game, the left party said the hidden agenda behind this move was to divide the society under communal lines.
“The BJP and the RSS are indulging in doublespeak by talking about religious conversions. The RSS organisations are conducting a reconversion campaign targeting the minorities. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has justified this reconversion as bringing back people to their original faith. The episode of reconversion in Agra has exposed how false assurances and inducements were used for reconversion.
“At the same time BJP and RSS leaders are demanding a law to ban forcible religious conversions. There is no need for such a law as Article 25 of the Indian Constitution provides for ‘freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religions’. If there is any forcible conversion it is already covered under Indian Penal Code (Section 153(a)) as it classifies forcible attempts in the name of religion as a criminal offence,” said the Politburo in a statement.