Government pursuing communal agenda: Opposition

NEW DELHI: Opposition parties today accused the government of pursuing communal agenda, prompting treasury benches to hit back by charging them with keeping quiet when Hindus are converted under allurement or coercion.

Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, who had earlier alleged that such conversion may cause riots in country, today mellowed down his attack on ruling BJP during a discussion in Lok Sabha on the issue of conversion.

He said conversion of Muslims in Agra was hardly an issue in the region and wondered if the discussion was really needed.

Initiating the debate, Jyotiraditya Scindia (Cong) alleged that Muslims were promised ration cards to convert to Hinduism and took a jibe at the government, wondering if these were the "achchhe din (good days)" it had promised.

His attack on some Hindutva bodies allegedly affiliated to the BJP drew protests from the ruling party and the Speaker ruled that any reference to outside organisations would be expunged.

"What has happened is against the Constitution. They (BJP) are trying to divert people's attention from issues of black money and price rise by creating polarisation in the society," he said, referring to recent rows, including one involving Union Minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti.

He demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should make a statement on a grave issue like this as these communal problems were not confined to one state.

Saugata Roy (TMC) took potshots at BJP, accusing it of causing "religious polarisation" and referred to a ruling party MP's comment that Nathuram Godse was a patriot like Mahatma Gandhi, whom he had killed.

"I thought BJP is for Ram. I got to know that it is for Nathuram...," he said.

"You wanted power, you got power. Now it's your responsibility to see to it that everybody lives according to Constitution," Roy said.