Udupi, Sep 18: Chairman of the National Commission for Minorities Mohamed Shafi Qureshi said on Wednesday that the commission had not received any report of forcible conversion from the district administration nor was there any FIR to that effect in Udupi district.
Addressing presspersons here, Qureshi said that some forces appeared bent on creating disharmony in society. Rumour mongering on sensitive issues was not desirable.
Every Indian had the right to profess and propagate any religion. “Conversion by force is not permitted,” he said He said that if there was any forcible conversion, there was the law and order machinery to which complaints could be lodged. Nobody could take law in their own hands on the pretext of alleged conversions. “We have so far not been able to find any forcible conversion here,” he said.
Qureshi said that the commission had visited places affected by communal violence in Orissa, Indore, and had completed its visit in Udupi.
After visiting all the affected areas hit by communal violence, the commission would submit a detailed report to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, he said.
Member of the National Commission for Minorities Harcharan Singh Josh and Member of Delhi Minorities Commission Arnold James were present.
Earlier, Qureshi visited the New Life prayer hall which was vandalised by miscreants allegedly belonging to a pro-Hindutva organisation on September 14.
He heard the grievances of Pastor Gopinath of New Life prayer hall and other devotees. Mr. Qureshi also had a meeting with the Parish Priest of Mother of Sorrows Church Mathew Vas.
‘Sense of fear’
Speaking to presspersons Vas said that the commission had asked him about the situation prevailing in the district.
He had told the commission that the situation at present was peaceful in the district, but there was a sense of fear among the Christians. A peace committee meeting has been called by the Udupi district administration on September 20, he said.
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