Digvijay Singh accuses RSS, BJP of dividing society on communal lines

Launching a frontal attack on the ruling party over the alleged forced conversion in Agra, Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Wednesday alleged that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are trying to divide the society on communal lines.

"The RSS and the BJP have only one motive, they want to rule the country by spreading communal violence, by dividing the society........and take political benefits out of it. So, it's nothing new. Those people need to understand it who doesn't understand the BJP's and RSS' ideologies," said Singh.

The Congress leader also said that the religious conversion issue is nothing new as RSS' 'Ghar Wapsi' campaign has already been going on in the tribal areas of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.

"This is a criminal offence in many states. According to the Indian Constitution, every individual has the freedom to practice his religion and this should be respected," he added.

Earlier in the day, the opposition MPs attacked the BJP in both houses over the conversions organized in Agra reportedly by groups linked to the ruling party's ideological mentor RSS or Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The opposition MPs expressed serious concern over forcible religious conversions by alluring poor people and demanded a statement from the BJP-led government on the issue.

Responding to their concerns, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Muktar Abbas Naqvi informed that an FIR has already been registered on the matter. He said the government is committed to upholding the Constitution and secularism.

Expressing serious concern over the issue, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati told mediapersons outside the Parliament that the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government must take the issue seriously, and added that communal forces needed to be stopped from doing such things.

Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Ramgopal Yadav on his part said that strict action will be taken against the people who are allegedly involved in the forceful religious conversion in Agra.

Talking to reporters outside the Parliament, Yadav said that an FIR has already been filed in the case and people involved in it will be arrested soon.