No BJP-RSS conflict on conversions, says Venkaiah Naidu

Hyderabad, Dec 21: Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu Sunday there is no conflict between the BJP and the RSS over the issue of religious conversions. He told reporters here that Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bahgwat said the people who were converted have got a right to be re-converted. Naidu said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the government and Mahatma Gandhi all stated the same. "(BJP president) Amit Shah said if you are worried about conversion, let there be an anti-conversion law. Where is the conflict," he asked. Naidu reiterated that the central government will not forcibly and unilaterally bring a law to ban conversions. He, however, said this would be done with broad consensus. He also made it clear that the government has nothing to do with conversions or re-conversions. Naidu argued that the freedom to profess and propagate religion does not mean it has given right to convert people. Stating that nobody would have any objection to voluntary conversions, the minister said forceful and fraudulent conversions create tensions in the society and hence the state has to intervene.