Thursday, December 29 2005 17:26 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: Dwelling on issues dear to the party, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today (Dec 29, 2005) strongly demanded legislation to ban religious conversions and expressed concern over attempts to provide reservation to those belonging to scheduled castes and tribes who convert to other religions.

"Religious conversion is definitely an issue of concern. We are firm on the demand of complete ban on such conversions," BJP President Lal Krishna Advani said making concluding remarks winding up the debate on the political resolution on the second day of party's National Convention here today.

He said that, "This is a long pending issue. It was even discussed in the presence of Pandit Nehru. Even Babu Jagjivan Ram had opposed such unfair reservation. But, now the person in charge of Congress is of different opinion to this question, so these attempts are made."

A party delegate from Haryana said the religious conversions have 'picked up pace after Sonia Gandhi-led Congress formed a coalition Government in the country.'

"Christian missionaries are luring the backward adiwasi tribes in Jharkhand. This is taking away many of our Hindu adiwasi brothers, who convert with false hope of seeking benefit once they convert," a delegate from Jharkhand said alleging an international conspiracy against Hindu religion.

A party member from Andhra Pradesh also expressed concern over State Government's recent decisions to introduce religion-based reservation in the educational institutes.