Author:
Publication: NDTV.com
Date: October 23, 2002
In an unlikely twist to the BJP's
election campaign in Gujarat, the party has said that it will introduce
an anti-conversion law, if it returns to power.
This move closely follows Jayalalithaa's
ordinance banning religious conversions.
"We want a similar law to come in
all states of the country. It is in the larger interest of the nation.
People who are using other means like allurement and inducement should
be the only ones who have a problem with this. There is no other reason
for anyone to oppose the legislation," said Party President Venkaiah Naidu.
"The Congress party has double standards.
It has already implemented such a law in Orissa," he alleged.
Naidu was speaking at the high level
meet in Gujarat to map out the party's election agenda in the state.
Recipe for "misuse"
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu, the state
where all the controversy about the legislation on banning religious conversion
began, is gearing up for a showdown.
The state minority commission says
that the Jaya's new law will damage communal harmony in the state.
"The proposed law can be misused
by people who have a vested interest. There will be misinterpretation because
some terms are very vague. Allurement can be anything, even educational
institutions giving scholarships can be interpreted as such," said S R
A Philip, chairperson, state minority commission.
But Jayalalithaa has ruled out incorporating
any changes in the ordinance to safeguard against its possible misuse.
"There is no possibility of this
ordinance being misused in any way. All the apprehensions that have been
voiced are without any basis," insisted the chief minister.
As a result the stage is set for
a confrontation not only with minority institutions but with the Opposition
as well, who are keen to prove their secular credentials.
