BJP alleges forcible conversions in state

PATNA: State BJP president Mangal Pandey has alleged large scale forcible religious conversions of girls are taking place in Bihar and the administration is not taking action on complaints made by the girls’ parents.

Releasing two reports of investigation teams of party legislators and office-bearers in this regard on Friday, he said these incidents were not of ‘love jihad’ but pertained to kidnapping and forcible conversions. He alleged Muzaffarpur’s Aarushi, who was kidnapped by one Md Ishtiyaq on July 28, was still held hostage at a mosque in Delhi. Her mother sat on dharna at Muzaffarpur on Friday.

BJP had sent the two teams to Bhagalpur and Sitamarhi on Thursday. The team members included Sanjiv Chaurasia, Prem Ranjan Patel, Shivesh Ram, Niranjan Ram, Binay Kumar Singh and Sushma Sahu. They were not allowed to meet the girls, Pandey alleged but quoted statements recorded by magistrates to substantiate his allegation that the girls were kidnapped, converted and forced to marry Muslims boys.

According to Pandey, 11 people of Khatwe caste were forced to change their religion at Bacharpur and Kambalpur villages in Sitamarhi district. At Rampurkhurd village under Pupri block in Sitamarhi district, wife of one Rajkishore Ram has named four co-villagers of different community who forced her husband to change religion. They were now intimidating her and two girls in the family to change their religion.

Pandey further said a minor girl was kidnapped from Badi Athgawana village in Akilpur panchayat in Bhagalpur district in March. Even though her statement was recorded before a magistrate, no arrest has been made so far. The accused belong to a different community. He cited other cases of Dhubawe village under the Sanokhar police station area and Jahangira village under the Sultanganj police station area in Bhagalpur, where conversions allegedly took place.

The BJP leader said the government should be vigilant as the victims of conversions were from mahadalit, dalit, EBC and OBC families.

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