The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Congress on Wednesday sought to corner the government over the much-publicised conversion of Muslims to Hinduism in Agra , saying changing religion by force and by allurement was illegal.
Noor Mohammad, one of the people who alleged that the two Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh offshoots had lured them into a programme to collect BPL and ration cards. (HT photo)
The opposition attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government came a day after Muslims who were supposedly converted denied embracing Hinduism at a ceremony on Monday.
The government washed its hands of the issue, saying law and order is a state subject.
Raising the issue in the Rajya Sabha, BSP chief Mayawati said, "This is a serious matter as allurement was given to poor to get them converted."
She pointed out that a similar exercise was planned by the month-end in Aligarh, where Christians would be reportedly converted to Hinduism.
Mayawati said the Constitution guaranteed religious freedom and it was the responsibility of both the Centre and the state government to ensure safety of life, property and religion of all.
“The Government should take serious note of the Agra incident... strict action should be taken," she said, warning that such forced conversions would create and breed communal tension in the country.
Forced conversions should be stopped, she demanded as members from Congress, Left, Trinamool Congress joined her.
The event organised by Hindu groups in Agra which claimed to convert Muslims. (HT Photo) Rajya Sabha deputy chairman PJ Kurien said the chairman had admitted 15 Zero Hour notices.
"What can I do if all of you stand up and shout. There are Zero Hour notices with me, what do I do?" he said as opposition members shouted, “Pradhan Mantri Jawab Do (Prime Minister reply)”.
Congress leader Anand Sharma said the government should be directed to give a clarification on the issue.
Minister of state for parliamentary affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said an FIR has been registered in the case.
"Action has to be taken by state government. Law and order is a state issue and the state government has to deal with it. Centre has no role in that."
He objected to the name of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) being mentioned in the case, saying it was not appropriate to take name of the organisation for "political reasons" and the Chair should expunge the same.
The RSS is seen as the ideological and spiritual guide of the BJP.
The issue was raised in the Lok Sabha too, by Trinamool members.
In Uttar Pradesh’s Taj Mahal city Agra, the police have registered a case in connection with the conversion of 57 Muslim families which denied having become Hindus at a ceremony dubbed “homecoming”.
The case was registered at Agra’s Sadar police station on Tuesday night on a report of the Muslim families.
Leading up to the registration of the case, the Muslim families had contested the claim of hard-line Hindu groups Dharma Jagaran Manch and Bajrang Dal that they had switched to Hinduism .
“The case has been registered at Sadar police station. Kishoril Lal Valmiki, one of the persons blamed for luring the Muslims in Ved Nagar area near Devri Road, has been named in the report,” said Agra senior superintendent of police (SSP) Shalabh Mathur.
“Investigations are to take place and suitable action will follow,” the SSP added.
The Muslims who contested the conversion claims said they were tricked and lured to the ceremony by being told they would get BPL and ration cards.
Watch: Outrage in Parliament over mass religious conversion in Agra
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