At the inauguration of the ‘Shri Tegh Bahadur Sandesh Yatra’, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said that illegal religious conversions are part of a deep-rooted conspiracy against the nation and society, and declared that such acts will not be tolerated under any circumstances.
The Yatra was organised to mark the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur ji. CM Yogi Adityanath carried the Guru Granth Sahib on his head as he welcomed the yatra with flower petals.
CM Yogi Flags Religious Conversion Conspiracy
He highlighted the recent action taken in Balrampur, where a large-scale conversion racket was busted.
CM Yogi said, “We have proceeded with a huge investigation in Balrampur. You must have seen he (Jalaluddin alias Chhingur Baba) had fixed rates (for conversion). He was receiving foreign funding.” “Such acts aim to break society and harm communal amity,” Yogi said, adding that strict action is being taken against those involved.
The Sandesh Yatra which began from Lucknow will travel through Kanpur, Etawah, Agra, and culminate at Delhi’s historic Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib in Chandni Chowk, where Guru Tegh Bahadur sacrificed his life to protect the Sanatan Dharma.
Yogi Adityanath’s Comment Comes On The Hills Of Maharashtra’s Plan To Enact Anti-Religious Conversion Law
CM Yogi’s comment on the illegal religious conversion came days after Maharashtra announced plans to enact a stringent law against religious conversions in the state, adding that the government will investigate the illegal churches and demolish them in the next six months.
Maharashtra is not the first state to bring a law against religious conversion. 12 other states have already enacted the anti-conversion laws. Rajasthan became the 12th state to approve such a law. The other states that presently have anti-conversion laws are: Odisha, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh.
Concern Over Maharashtra’s Plan To Enact Anti-Conversion Law
The Archdiocese of Bombay said the plan to enact an anti-conversion law violates the right to freedom of religion guaranteed by the constitution. Article 25 (1) in India’s Constitution states, “Subject to public order, morality, and health and the other provisions of this Part, all persons are equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practice and propagate religion.”
