Business Standard

Religion should be personal choice: Naidu

Image

IANS New Delhi

Clearing the government's position on the controversial 'ghar wapsi' events organised by various Hindu groups, Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu Thursday said "if religion conversion is wrong, than re-conversion is also wrong".

In an interview to HeadLines Today channel, the minister said 'ghar wapsi' programmes by various organisations might have angered people, but the central government was not responsible for those programmes as the state governments concerned must take care if there was any problem.

"If people convert on their own, than it's alright," he said.

Naidu also said there was no proposal by the government to bring in an anti-conversion law.

 

He accused some parties of playing vote-bank politics on the issue.

Asked whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi was late in reassuring the Christian community on the issue of attacks on churches and other institutions, Naidu said the prime minister was not expected to speak every time something somewhere goes wrong.

"There are authorities, ministers who have been addressing the issues concerned. Why would he (Modi) speak on everything," he asked, adding that the attacks on churches were already condemned by Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

Don't miss the most important news and views of the day. Get them on our Telegram channel

First Published: Feb 19 2015 | 10:10 PM IST

Explore News