Agra conversions rock Parliament, Govt allows discussion

Congress MP Jyotiraditya Scindia said amid ruckus in Lok Sabha that the RSS and Bajrang Dal had the courage to do it - conversion- since they know  their government is ruling the country. 

"There is a whole programme going on. The government should answer this. People want to know," said Scindia, adding that India's beauty is the amalgamation of various religions like a flower bouquet and as a Hindu he is proud of that. 

He said people were lured into conversion by promises of BPL card and ration card. 

Scindia said the government is taking its cue from RSS and trying to change history and culture of the nation. "I deeply condemn it. Anything against Constitution is the responsibility of the government to correct. The Prime Minister should answer and do his duty. The PM is the PM of all- Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Jain, Christian, all. He should answer it clearly in the House," said Schindia.

He said the government has the responsibility to preserve the secular fabric of India.

Opposition MPs shouted slogans in the Lok Sabha and asked the government to explain the Agra incident.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati said if the BJP says it is not involved in this, it will stop the conversions. She said more conversion programmes in places like Aligarh would create communal tension in the country. 

Earlier, a police complaint was lodged after some 200 people were converted to Hinduism in a ceremony organized in Uttar Pradesh by groups like Bajrang Dal linked to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), media reports said.

Sources said some 57 Muslim families participated in the mass conversion ceremony in Agra.

Sources said the conversion event was termed as “homecoming” by the Bajrang Dal and Dharam Jagran Samanvay Vibhagh who jointly conducted the rituals.

Police file an FIR (first information report) for cases of cheating and promoting enmity after they visited the families late Tuesday night.

The groups that performed the mass conversions claimed the families were originally Hindu and converted to Islam around 30 years ago, reports said.

 Condemning the incident, Congress leader Anand Sharma said: “The House and the country need a reassurance that the Constitution will not be violated.”