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UP govt, RSS off shoot head for showdown

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The Akhilesh Yadav government is headed for a showdown with the saffron brigade over the proposed conversion ceremony organised by the Dharma Jagran Samiti (DJS) in Aligarh on the day of Christmas. Even though the Aligarh district magistrate has issued prohibitory orders under section 144, the DJS, an RSS off-shoot, has vowed to go ahead with the event. UP governor Ram Naik has queered the pitch for the state government by saying there is nothing wrong with voluntary conversions, and even Dr Br Ambedkar had converted to Buddhism.

How many re-conversions are likely to take place?
At its Aligarh ceremony, the DJS proposes to re-convert 10,000 people who had earlier converted to Christianity or Islam. Firebrand BJP MP Yogi Adityanath would be the chief guest at the event. Muslim organisations have raised a clamour against these conversions and put UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav in quite a spot demanding severe action against DJS volunteers and BJP / VHP leaders involved in these programmes.

What is the state government doing?
The state government has issued orders banning conversions by force or through temptation of any kind, an official spokesman declared here on Monday. He said no permission had been sought or given for the December 25 Aligarh programme. He said that the Aligarh DM had sent a report saying such a programme would not be allowed as it could create law and order problems.
The spokesman said adequate security arrangements were in place to thwart any such event. "An alert against such events has already been sounded across the state and intelligence agencies have been sensitized about such activities which could hurt communal amity," he added.

What is BJP's stand on conversion?
The BJP seems to be speaking in two voices on the issue. While UP BJP chief LK Bajpayee told reporters here that he was against such conversions and that the events were being organized by people out to grab cheap publicity, Yogi Adityanath said he would defy prohibitory orders to attend the Aligarh event.

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