BJP condemns attacks on religious places and conversion attempts

New Delhi, Sep 22 (UNI) The BJP today strongly condemned the attacks on places of worship and other religious institutions in Orissa and Karnataka but said it also did not condone the attempts of forcible conversions by institutions.

BJP General Secretary Arun Jaitley told newspersons that the main reason behind the attacks in Orissa was the brutal killing of Swami Lakshmananda Saraswati and others who strongly opposed the attempts to convert the tribals in their area.

He said there were reports of forcible conversions in the rural Mangalore area of Karnataka where places of worship came under attack. The State administration had acted against violence and some arrests had also been made.

He expressed the hope that the situation in the state would become normal in the next couple of days.

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