Religion matter of individual choice: Opposition leaders

Opposition political leaders Friday criticised BJP president Amit Shah's proposal to bring in an anti-conversion law, saying religion is a matter of individual choice.

Participating in the Agenda Aaj Tak - 2014 conclave, Janata Dal-United (JD-U) chief Sharad Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal head Lalu Prasad and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Sitaram Yechury said the right to practice any religion is an individual choice and this must be maintained at all cost.

"The country belongs to every citizen...It is in our constitution and people are free to practice any religion they want," the RJD chief said.

He also questioned the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) "silence" on recent controversial statements by its leaders. "Anybody is speaking what he or she likes...Why aren't they asking them to refrain from making such statements."

Lalu Prasad said it was a dangerous trend and could create problems in future.

"Why does the BJP not stop them from making dangerous remarks," the former Bihar chief minister asked.

Yechury, condemning the BJP president's statement, said: "People who indulged in forced religion conversion are demanding a law on it."

"They themselves are indulging in religion conversion activities and now demanding a law to ban conversion," he said.

Yadav questioned why the BJP does not say anything on the caste system among Hindus. "Why don't they look into the root problem of people leaving the Hindu religion. Why don't they say let's eradicate the caste system."

They also accused the BJP of being busy in diverting peoples' attention from real issues.

Shah, earlier in the news programme, said no political party would come forward to bring in the anti-conversion law.