In the backdrop of row surrounding the alleged reconversion in UP, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday echoed the BJP and called for bringing anti-conversion law. Badal also appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to call an all party meeting to allay apprehensions of minorities on the issue of religious conversions.
"The Prime Minister should call an all party meeting to allay apprehensions of minorities on the issue of religious conversions.
"The government should also frame a law to restrict such conversions," he said. Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said in the House on Thursday,"Some people are allergic to the word Hindu...Let there be anti-conversion laws in all states, let there be an anti-conversion law at the Centre." The SAD leader told reporters here that religious conversions could add to communal tensions and the matter should be "handled sensitively".
Responding to a query about demand of some Sikh organisations for amendment to Section 25(B) of the Constitution, which includes Sikhs as a part of Hindu community, Sukhbir said,"it is universally known fact that Sikhs have a distinct identity."
"Sikhism is an independent race and the entire community has the same stand on this issue. There is no need for any second opinion on this issue," he said. About release of Sikh prisoners languishing in different jails of the nation after completion of their terms of life imprisonment, Badal said he has written to the Union Home Minister and requested him to take up the issue of release of Sikh detainees in jails outside Punjab.
Even as he clarified that life imprisonment implied a jail term for the convict's entire life and not imprisonment for 14 or 20 years and the remission could be awarded only by powers vested with Governors of the states.
He said that Supreme Court had imposed a stay on releasing any detainees under the premature release policy in the entire country and because of that nothing could be done as of now at the state level.
"Still, on compassionate grounds, we are trying to do as much as possible and Attorney General (AG) of the state will be asked to take up the case with the apex court so as to work out a remedial course of action", he added.
In context of the recent alleged desecration of the 'saroop' (copy) of Guru Granth Sahib in a village of Tarn Taran district, Badal said that a SIT has been constituted under Police Commissioner, Amritsar and SSP rank official will support the commissioner police for an early enquiry.
He said that SIT will put up its report within 48 hours, thereafter the perpetrator of the blasphemous act would be brought to book.
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