Vishwa Hindu Parishad pushes for central law to stop illegal conversions

NEW DELHI: After the Supreme Court showed concern over the ‘forced religious conversions’, central joint general secretary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Surendra Jain, on Tuesday urged the Centre to bring a law to stop illegal conversions in the country.

Speaking to ANI, Jain said, “Various incidents that happened across the country and also the commissions formed on this subject say quite loudly and clearly that illegal conversion is a threat to the fundamental right to religious freedom and national security.”

The Supreme Court on Monday gave a clear warning that if illegal conversion is not stopped, then a dangerous situation will be created for the country. The SC said that religious conversions by means of force, allurement or fraud may “ultimately affect the security of the nation and freedom of religion and conscience of citizens” while directing the Centre to “step in” and clarify what it intends to do to curb compulsory or deceitful religious conversions.

“There may be freedom of religion, but there may not be freedom of religion by forced conversion… This is a very serious issue. Everybody has the right to choose their religion, but not by forced conversion or by giving temptation”, the apex court said.

The VHP leader further said that the judiciary had, in many cases earlier, also stressed the need for a central law on illegal conversions. “It has become clear time and again that conversion done by force, fraud and allurement, which is illegal. But, in the absence of a clear law, the plotters and connivers cannot be punished”, he said.

He said that the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, the Sant fraternity and other leading figures of the country have always been on the same page that illegal conversion must be stopped. “For this, many great men and organisations have continuously struggled and made sacrifices”, said Jain.

He further said that history teaches us the unfortunate lesson that such illegal conversions have already changed the demography of India putting it into geostrategic, geopolitical and geo-cultural disadvantages and still threatening its security, prosperity and territorial integrity.

“Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh were created because of religious conversions. Illegal conversion is also responsible for the plight of Hindus in Kashmir, the North-East, Bengal and many districts of Kerala. Conversion is also the main reason behind the gruesome and barbaric murder of hundreds of girls like Shraddha, Nikita and others,” the VHP leader said.

Jain said that at present, laws have been made in eight states of the country to stop illegal conversions. “But this problem is pan-India behind which anti-India international forces are actively working. Proof has also been found several times of the immense amount of money being pumped into the network by them”, he added.

The VHP leader reiterated that it is the need of the hour that a pan-India comprehensive central law should be brought forthwith to rid the country of the demography- and democracy-changing abnormal, anomalous, invasive, undermining, meddling and anti-Constitutional activities and networks of illegal horizontal religious conversions.

The VHP leader’s statement came against the backdrop of the recent murder of a woman by her live-in partner. According to the Delhi police, a man has been arrested for allegedly killing his 28-year-old live-in partner, chopping her body into 35 pieces and disposing them off at different places in and around the national capital.

The accused, identified as Aftab Amin Poonawalla (28), a resident of Mumbai, was caught on Saturday on the basis of the deceased’s father’s complaint and has been sent to police remand for five days. (ANI)