‘No one will dare’: Maharashtra plans tough law against religious conversions, revenue minister tells assembly; Uike pledges to bring converted tribals back | Mumbai News
MUMBAI: Maharashtra revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule told the state assembly on Wednesday that the state government was planning a strong law against religious conversion. He also announced a committee headed by a divisional commissioner to examine complaints of unauthorised churches in Nandurbar district and proceed with demolishing those found illegal.“We will bring in a strong law and so no one will dare to undertake religious conversion,” said Bawankule, amid complaints by BJP MLAs about forcible conversions to Christianity in the tribal belt of Dhule and Nandurbar.Meanwhile, tribal welfare minister Sanjay Uike also said that his department would try to bring the tribals who converted to Christianity, back into the fold. “We will try to bring them back into the traditional adivasi faith and Hindu religion. We will remind them of the benefits they have gained with their adivasi caste status,” he said.The issue was raised in the assembly by BJP MLA Anup Agarwal who complained about forcible conversions of Bhil tribals in Nandurbar to Christianity by offering inducements including medical aid. He also said there were 199 unauthorized churches in Navapur taluka according to an RTI response. “When will the illegal churches be demolished and when will the state bring a law to prevent forcible conversions?” he asked.Bawankule said the home department had already received a report on this issue. And the Supreme Court had also given a classification of unauthorised religious structures which could be regularised or demolished. However, he said specific complaints in Nandurbar should go before the divisional commissioner.BJP MLA Sanjay Kute asked what action will be taken against STs who receive caste benefits even after they have converted to another faith. “Strong action should be taken against them since they no longer follow the Adivasi traditions and faith,” he said. BJP MLA Atul Bhatkalkar asked when the state would bring in a law against love jihad.BJP MLA and former minister Sudhir Mungantiwar alleged, “Money coming to institutions from overseas is used for religious conversions and the percentage of Hindus in the population has declined. We need to see how strong the laws are against religious conversion in other countries.”BJP MLA Gopichand Padalkar demanded that action should be taken against government employees who had got the job on the basis of an SC, ST, OBC or VJNT reserved quota and had then changed their religion. Bawankule said he would speak to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis about an inquiry on the issue.Bawankule said some of the larger issues about laws in other countries and how to bring the converts back into the Adivasi faith and tradition could be discussed between Adivasi MLAs and the tribal welfare minister and they could give their recommendations.
