Agra mass conversion row: Main accused arrested

The main accused in the alleged forced conversion of about 100 people to Hinduism in Agra was arrested on Tuesday even as a united opposition stalled Rajya Sabha for the second day pressing for a response from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on this issue.

Nand Kishore Balmiki was arrested after he surrendered himself at the Hari Parbat police station on Tuesday morning, the Agra police said.

An FIR had been registered on December 9 against Dharma Jagran Manch and Balmiki, the outfit’s Uttar Pradesh convener, in connection with the “forced conversion” of about 100 people, mostly Muslim slum dwellers, through a ritual carried out by the Hindu organisation on December 8.

Police had registered cases under Section 153 (A) (promoting enmity between different groups) and Section 415 (using fraudulent means) of the Indian Penal Code on a complaint by a person identified as Ismail, who was among those who was reconverted.

Police had conducted raids at various areas to arrest Balmiki and announced a cash reward of Rs 12,000 on any information about his whereabouts.

On December 14, Balmiki had managed to give police the slip but his son Rahul and relative Krishna Kumar were arrested from a guest house in Etah district.

Rajya Sabha failed to transact any business for the second consecutive day as opposition members persisted with their demand for a reply from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue of conversions. In all, the House was adjourned six times during the day.

Amid the din, the House was adjourned for the day at 2.30 pm but not before Deputy Chairman P J Kurien ticked off the slogan-shouting members, saying he was “sorry for the indiscipline”.

The deadlock persisted with the Opposition unitedly voicing concern over reports of conversion and wanted no less than the PM himself to assure the House and the country that such things would not be allowed.

“Till the PM does not assure the House... why his words are not being honoured. It is clear that the government does not want the House to function,” Deputy Leader of Congress Anand Sharma said as members from his party as also those from Left and Samajwadi Party trooped into the Well.

The Opposition’s demand was rejected by the government. “What they are saying is not acceptable to the government,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said.

Justifying the opposition's demand, CPI-M MP Sitaram Yechury said Modi is answerable to the House as he had admitted that he is responsible for all major policy decision of the government.

In Rajya Sabha, Finance Minister and Leader of the House Arun Jaitley hit out at the opposition, saying “the issue is you want anarchy and not discussion.”

Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the government was ready for a debate but the opposition was running away. The protest, he said, was politically motivated.

Image: A group of Muslims being reconverted at a ceremony in Agra. Photograph: PTI photo