Mumbai: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday said there was “no need” for an anti-conversion law in the state, where the government is “cautious” and members of different religious communities live in peace.
He gave the statement when asked by journalists about the need for such a law in the wake of reports appearing in the press, sporadically, about Hindus allegedly changing their faith following enticements offered by proselytizers.
The Chief Minister said, “The government has always been cautious here. And all people, irrespective of religious group, live peacefully. So there is no need for such a step here.”
Kumar, who controls the JD(U) and credits his rise in politics to the socialist movement, can also be seen as having a strong message for his ally BJP.
BJP hardliners like Union Minister Giriraj Singh have been stressing the need for an anti-conversion law.
The ideological divide between Kumar and the BJP has also come to the fore on the issue of caste census.
BJP leaders, including some ministers in the cabinet, have been alleging that many “Rohingya” and “Bangladeshi” have entered Bihar and care should be taken not to legalize their migration by including them in the state-level castes.
Despite his political affiliations in the 1990s, Kumar has not been on the same page with the BJP on issues such as Ayodhya, Article 370, Uniform Civil Code, Triple Talaq, NRC and legislative measures to control the population.
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