The statements hold significance as the BJP-led government is all set to introduce the Citizenship Amendment Bill in the Rajya Sabha. (PTI)Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said that mass conversion is a matter for concern for India and it needs to be checked. “If you’re Hindu be Hindu, Muslim be Muslim, Christian be Christian. Why do you want to convert the whole world?” PTI quoted Rajnath as saying.
Addressing an event organized by a Christian body, Singh said, “If somebody wants to accept a religion, he should do that. There should not be any objection to it. But if mass conversion starts happening, a large number of people start changing their religion, then it could be a matter of concern for any country.”
Rejecting charges that his party tries to divide people into communal lines, Singh said, “BJP aa gayi. Ab gadbad hoga, ye hoga wo hoga (BJP has come. Now this or that will happen). We do not want to run the country by instilling a sense of fear. We want to run this country with a sense of confidence (among people). Nobody should have a sense of alienation. This will be our efforts.” He added that “all are welcome in the country”.
“I have never discriminated on the basis of caste, creed, and religion in my life. Whether or not we get votes. Whether or not we form the government, whether we win or lose. But we will never discriminate among people. This is what our prime minister feels,” he said at the function organised by Rashtriya Isai Mahasangh.
Citing examples of the US and the United Kingdom, Rajnath said that in these countries minority demand anti-conversion law while in India its the opposite. “Here (in India) I see majority demand that there should be an anti-conversion law. Then it is a matter of concern. It should not happen,” Singh said.
“Recently, stones were pelted at the churches. Some priests came and met me to demand security. I assured them all that those behind it will be punished. I also assured security to them. But it (stone pelting) started a month before the assembly elections and stopped a month after that. What would you say on that? Whose conspiracy is that,” he asked. Singh said as far as the NDA government is concerned there will not be discrimination against anybody
