Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee
Press Release
Conversion is a Political Tool for BJP, Not a Solution – Deepak Baij
Incidents of Conversion Have Increased in the State Under BJP and Government’s Protection
Raipur, 08 January 2025 – Responding to Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai’s statement on conversion, Pradesh Congress President Deepak Baij said that during the first meeting of the Sai government in Chhattisgarh, it was claimed that a draft of the new “Religious Freedom Bill” was ready and would be implemented within 60 days. However, even after a year, the government has remained silent. Since the formation of the BJP government in the state, incidents of conversion have increased in both urban and rural areas. The BJP itself promotes conversion, then stirs up communal conflict. While in opposition, BJP leaders who used to create riots under the pretext of conversion have remained silent about the recent incidents in the state. There are also reports suggesting that those involved in conversions are being protected by the ruling party. The BJP’s silence after incidents of conversion in Jashpur and Bastar proves their support for these activities.
Deepak Baij also mentioned that the Supreme Court had identified forced conversions as a major problem for the country and had directed the central government to create a law against it. Despite the Supreme Court’s directive, the Modi government has remained silent for over a year. The BJP spreads rumors and engages in political tactics regarding conversion across the country but shows no interest in taking concrete steps or creating a law.
Deepak Baij further stated that the BJP only wants to use conversion and communalism for political gains and does not wish to find any real solution to the problem. He challenged Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai to release a white paper on conversion, particularly in Chhattisgarh, clarifying how many churches were built during the Raman Singh government and how many have been built during the Bhupesh Baghel government. The BJP uses issues like conversion to polarize voters for electoral gains. The BJP is not concerned with Hindutva or Sanatan; they use such issues for their political agenda. It is the BJP behind the conversion issues in Chhattisgarh.
