No forced conversions in Nashik — Probe panel

MUMBAI, JUNE 2: There are no cases of forced conversions in Nashik district, a fact finding committee which visited Abhona in Nashik where...

MUMBAI, JUNE 2: There are no cases of forced conversions in Nashik district, a fact finding committee which visited Abhona in Nashik where a girl’s hostel run by Christian missionaries was attacked on May 9 last, has stated in its report.

“The attack was well-planned and not spontaneous as claimed. In fact, it followed the `classical pattern’ of Sangh Parivar,” alleges the report released here by Ram Puniyani, convenor of Ekta Committee for Communal Amity and other four members of the fact finding committee.

According to the report, the youths who attacked the hostel were instigated by the rumours that the Christian missionaries were indulging in forced conversions. "The rumours were being spread deliberately," said Puniyani.

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The report also points out that one Vinit Mahajan, who led the attack, had links with Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh and Vishwa Hindu Parishad. Former deputy chief minister Gopinath Munde had rushed to the spot immediately after the attack to intimidate the police for not taking harsh action against the accused, the report alleges.

It also refutes the allegations of local BJP leaders that the film on coversion was being screened at the hostel. “The film was on the life of Jesus Christ and it was also shown on Doordarshan in the past”, the report states.

Rev Fr L P Padle, director of the `Christians Love in Action’, alleged that those who attacked the hostel are now raking up the issue of legality of the construction of the hostel to divert attention of people from the episode. He admitted that the construction was illegal but the hostel authorities had applied to the local gram panchayat for a no-objection certificate. Other members of the fact finding team were Asad-Bin-Saif of Centre for Study of Society and Secularism and Masood Meshimam.

It may be recalled that the attack on the grils’ hostel had created ripples in the political circles of the State. The episode also kicked up a controversy when local MLA and Minister of State for Dairy Development A T Pawar personally received the accused after they were released from the jail.