BJP chief wants amendment in constitution to curb conversions

To further its campaign against Christianity, the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded an amendment in the Indian constitution to check religious conversions.

The party's president Rajnath Singh while addressing a function in Bhopal on Oct. 31 said foreign forces were involved in large-scale conversions through inducements and hence an amendment in the constitution was essential.

"The country is facing lot of threats from within and outside and foreign forces were indulged in large scale religious conversion in the country with an aim to finish India's strength of embracing all faiths of the world," the Press Trust of India quoted him saying.

Rajnath demands a provision in the constitution to enable conversions only before a competent authority. Pointing Jharkhand, Chhatisgarh and North Eastern states, he continued, they "threatened the demographic profile of the nation".

The BJP leader's call has come at a time when Christian groups are clamoring against anti-conversion laws passed in several BJP-run states which they say is both 'unconstitutional' and 'oppressive'.

Although its stated purpose is to curb conversions of "force" and "fraud", at several occasions it is unduly evident that it has served the subduing of freedom of religion by falsely implicating pastors, putting them under detention on fallacious charges and disallowing prayer services.

Currently, anti-conversion laws are in force in five states - Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat. In two other states - Arunachal Pradesh and Rajasthan, the laws have been passed but its implementation is awaited.

In Himachal Pradesh, the stringent anti-conversion bill declares that anyone found guilty of forcing an individual to change religion can be punished with a two-year jail term, a fine of up to 25,000 rupees (US$560) or both.