Lagatar24 Desk
Patna, June 8: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said on Wednesday, there was no need for an anti-conversion law in the state because the government was alert and members of various religious communities coexisted peacefully.
He made the statement in response to journalists’ questions regarding the need for such a law in the aftermath of intermittent allegations in the media of Hindus purportedly changing their faith as a result of proselytisers’ enticements.
“The government has always been alert here. And all people, be they from any religious group, live in peace. Hence such a move is not required here,” he said.
His statement, which comes from a man who leads the JD(U) and owes his political rise to the socialist movement, could be interpreted as a powerful warning to his ally, the BJP. The need for an anti-conversion law has been emphasised by BJP hardliners such as Union minister Giriraj Singh. On the question of caste census, the ideological gulf between Kumar and the BJP has come to the fore.
Many Rohingyas and Bangladeshis have allegedly slipped into Bihar, according to BJP leaders, including some cabinet ministers, and care must be taken not to legitimise their stay by including them in the state-level caste headcount.
Despite their political collaboration dating back to the 1990s, Kumar and the BJP have differed on matters such as Ayodhya, Article 370, the Uniform Civil Code, triple talaq, the National Register of Citizens, and population control legislation.
