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N Sathiya Moorthy in Chennai
Bharatiya Janata Party president M Venkaiah Naidu has called for a nationwide debate on the ordinance banning forced religious conversions in Tamil Nadu.
"Conversions lead to social disharmony; lead to tension and cause communal violence in some places," he said in Chennai on Saturday.
Referring to the one-day closure of Christian and Islamic schools to protest against the ordinance, he said, "It is wrong to mix religion with education."
The BJP chief said agitation by minority communities was "totally uncalled for and vitiating the atmosphere". "Education is a service and they have rigged it with conversions."
He said similar laws existed even in Islamic countries. Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, he said, "If I had the power to legislate, I would certainly stop all proselytising."
Naidu also said a "lot of money" was coming into the country for conversion activities.
He also charged the Congress with adopting double standards on the issue. "Why are the opposition parties and minorities in the state raising a hue and cry over the ordinance?"
He wanted to know if the Congress was ready to withdraw a similar law enacted by it in states like Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and Orissa.
He alleged that the Congress in Tamil Nadu was opposing the ordinance just because its political opponent, the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, had taken the initiative to ban conversion.
With inputs from PTI
EARLIER REPORTS: Find ways to end discrimination, dalits to government Protests against conversion ordinance begin Conversion law must go: TN minorities commission chief Minorities hold rally Protests in TN against anti-conversion law Jaya defends law banning forcible religious conversions Column: Woe Brahmin Raj Column: Why should any Dalits stay Hindu?
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