Conversion controversy won't derail development agenda of Modi govt: Amit Shah - Livemint

Amit Shah has been on a two-day visit to Chennai since Saturday. Photo: AFP

Chennai: Amid the controversy over a conversion bid by some Sangh Parivar outfits, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on Sunday asserted that such incidents would not derail the party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government from its development agenda.

“BJP has made its stand clear on conversions. And no one can derail the party (government) from its development agenda,” he told a press conference in 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 the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in the matter, Shah evaded a direct reply and said, “RSS is a national organization and I have no doubt over its activities.”

Opposition parties have been seeking to corner the government on the ‘ghar wapsi’ campaign in parts of North India and stalled proceedings in Rajya Sabha demanding a statement from Modi. Shah, who is on a two-day visit to the city since Saturday, also said the BJP’s stand on forced conversions was clear and the government was ready to bring a law to ban them. “BJP is clear about its stand on compulsory conversions. Parliamentary affairs minister Venkaiah Naidu has said in Parliament that the government is ready to bring in a law against compulsory conversions. Are the so called secular parties ready to support it?” he asked.

He dismissed suggestions that his party was soft in criticizing the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) government in the state as the two parties had some understanding, saying there was nothing called “indirect alliances” in politics. “There is nothing called indirect alliance in politics. Whatever alliance we have, it will be known and come in the press. Even yesterday, our BJP leaders have strongly criticized the Tamil Nadu government in the public meeting (addressed by him),” Shah said replying to a query.

The BJP chief said he was not criticizing the Dravidian parties but the their governments based on performance. Stating that the state was passing through a crisis, he said, “Due to Congress-led misrule at the centre and the bad governance of the DMK and the AIADMK in the state, it has suffered in terms of growth and development resulting in large-scale unemployment.”