The Hindu : National : Rajasthan to pass anti-conversion law

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Thursday, Feb 24, 2005

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National

Rajasthan to pass anti-conversion law

By Our Special Correspondent

JAIPUR, FEB. 23. Rajasthan will soon have a law against religious conversions. A bill to this effect will be introduced in the Assembly, according to the Home Minister, Gulab Chand Kataria.

"Nobody has a right to make conversions in this State," Mr. Kataria said while making a statement in the Assembly today during a discussion on the recent attack on Christians in Kota.

"There are no two opinions on everybody's right to practise his religion, but when it comes to conversion of poor and illiterate persons, carried out with the help of allurements and money, we will not let it happen. There is resentment in the public here that poor people are lured by money and other temptations to convert."

Mr. Kataria said the people who were sent back from the Kota railway station last weekend were tribals brought for the purpose of conversion.

"If they had been only Christians there was no problem with us," he said. "It was our magnanimity that we let them go after verification."

He said that 100 foreigners, of whom 95 were from the United States, reached Kota to attend the programme. "We will not allow them to leave their hotels as they have come on tourist visas."

Protesters lathicharged

Police resorted to lathicharge at Raipura area of Kota town to disperse about 600 people who gathered in front of the Emmanuel Mission Society campus to protest against the Bible graduation programme which started here today. They were led by the local leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

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