Minorities panel member slams BJP Govt

Bhopal, Aug 3 (UNI) Madhya Pradesh State Minorities Commission's outgoing member Indira Iyengar today charged that the Commission ignored the interests of minorities and worked as an agent of the state government.

Talking to reporters before demiting office after three year tenure, Ms Iyengar said the commission had sent various recommendations relating to minorities, particularly Christians, in the last 3 years. Unfortunately, no action was taken even on at least one recommendation, she said, adding the Commission had become irrelevant.

Alleging that the state government had ensured passage of the Freedom of Religion Amendment Bill without debate to serve the interests of certain Hindutva organisations, Ms Iyengar apprehended that atrocities on Christians would get a spurt once the Bill became an Act.

Ms Iyengar said the original Act of 1968 had provisions for informing the administration in advance about conversions. The Amendment Bill was passed to harass the Christians as the BJP government was annoyed over the social service by the community, she alleged.

Ms Iyengar, who is President of Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh Christian Forum, said the Congress, despite its secular claim, did not pose effective opposition to the passage of the Bill. Such attitude was not expected from Congress, she said.

During the past two and a half years, about 250 to 300 conversions took place across the state and of them, only 5 or 7 were Christians, she added.

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