Yogi Adityanath at Banjara conclave: ‘Absolutely no tolerance for religious conversions in UP’

“We have to get rid of caste and regional discrimination. We should not adopt a divisive tactic that leaves society fragmented. If we overcome bias based on caste and region, no power in the world can stop our progress,” Adityanath said at the idyllic Godri village that is located on the outer bounds of the Ajanta Hills of the Western Ghats.

Referring to religious conversions, the UP CM said, “In UP, we have made a stringent law. There is absolutely no tolerance for such activities. Nobody can indulge in unlawful acts of religious coercion. If anybody is found violating the law he or she is subjected to 10 years of imprisonment. However, if some convert wants to come back, the law is not applicable (will not penalise) on such persons. He or she can again become Hindu.”

The BJP-led government in Uttar Pradesh passed a law to tackle religious conversions — the UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religious Act — in November 2020.

Adityanath said, “There are some people who deviously carry out religious conversions. We have to unitedly fight to defeat such activities. Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas (prosperity for all and with everyone’s trust) can help address these challenges.”

Adityanath claimed the country had been blessed with “sanatan dharm” that is the oldest religion in the world and paves the way for the welfare of humanity. Sanatan dharm means humanity, the UP CM said. “Trying to tamper with Sanatan Dharm using conversion method is tantamount to playing with humanity,” he added.

Adityanath said the Centre had changed the name of the Mughal Gardens at Rashtrapati Bhavan to “Amrit Udyan” and after a wait of 500 years, a grand Ram Temple was coming up in Ayodhya. “Several lakh Hindus and seers sacrificed their lives during the struggle (to get the temple built). By the beginning of next year, Ram Lalla will be inside his massive temple,” he said.

Referring to the Banjara community, the UP CM said, “The Banjara Samaj played a vital role in the fight for the country’s freedom, but the community was portrayed in a bad light by the British and the Mughals. It is now time to embrace them (Banjara community).”

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Fadnavis were set to attend the event but could not attend the event after their helicopter developed a technical problem. Later in the day, addressing the conclave online, Fadnavis said, “The religious conversion drive undertaken by some segments is a new challenge confronting the Banjara community. The Mahakumbh is to create awareness against such conversion which threatens their rich culture and language. The Banjara’s contribution to fighting the Mughals and Britishers is well documented. Their contribution is immense. Known for their courage the community’s association with Sikh religious leaders is well documented. When Sikh Guru Tegh Bahadur was killed in Delhi, it was Bhai Lakshishah Banjara who fought the enemies to retrieve the body and carry out funeral rites.”

Maharashtra Congress leader Devanand Pawar, who belongs to the Banjara community, hit out at the BJP, saying, “The RSS-BJP is thrusting their hard Hindutva on the community. This is a devious design to bring the nomadic tribe to the BJP’s side. The Banjaras have one culture, one language, and one lifestyle across the country. In the name of religious conversions, they are politicising us. There are no instances of religious conversion in the state.”

The BJP has been pushing for the Banjara vote across other states too. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 19 distributed land title deeds to community members in Karnataka, where they are categorised under Scheduled Caste (SC). In Telangana, the BJP’s Other Backward Classes (OBC) Morcha held a series of public meetings at Banjara tandas last month. In neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, the party held a Backward Class conclave in Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada to consolidate its position among the state’s Banjaras.