Anti–conversion law may be tightened, warns Madhya Pradesh CM

Bhopal – The Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh has warned that the state government does not believe in appeasing any particular religious community and may take steps to amend the existing anti–conversion law to make it more strict.

According to Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh Chauhan, the state government was against religious conversions through force or allurement.

In a public statement, Chauhan said that amendment to the existing anti–conversion law to check conversion might be considered if needed. "A law to check forced religious conversion already exists in the state with adequate provisions, but if required amendments could be considered to make it more effective," he said.

Refuting charges of discrimination against any particular community and implementation of "Hindutva agenda" by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, the chief minister said people belonging to all religions and castes were being respected and given complete independence to follow their faiths.

However, Chauhan added that if the government received "any complaint of religious conversion through force, pressure or allurement, strong action will be taken against those indulging in such activities."