New Delhi/Srinagar, June 30: A Sikh delegation, comprising BJP spokesperson RP Singh, Jago party president Manjit Singh GK and others, today met Union Minister of State (MoS) for Home G Kishan Reddy and submitted a memorandum over the alleged forced conversions and marriages of Sikh women in J&K. They demanded a UP-like anti-conversion law in the UT.
After the meeting, Reddy said he would discuss the matter with Union Home Minister Amit Shah. “A delegation has come here to submit a representation to the Government of India. The forced conversions and marriages of Sikh girls in Kashmir are wrong and the delegation has submitted a memorandum over it. I will discuss this with the Union Home Minister regarding the action that needs to be taken,” he said.
BJP spokesperson Singh said the delegation demanded an anti-conversion law in J&K for the protection of Sikh girls.
“The incident of forced nikah (marriage) of an 18-year-old Sikh girl with a 60-year-old man is not a standalone incident of religion conversion. The religious conversion of Sikh girls has been going on for a long time. We have requested the minister to ask the J&K Lieutenant Governor (L-G) to enact a law against love jihad, like the ones passed by the UP and the MP governments. The minister should ask Sinha to bring an ordinance for the protection of Sikh girls,” he said.
Another Sikh body APSCC here on Wednesday demanded the implementation of the Inter-Caste Marriage Act and the enactment of an anti-conversion law in Jammu and Kashmir.
This comes amid a row over the allegations of alleged forced conversion of four women from the Sikh community to Islam in the union territory.
“At the same time, it is also important that Anti-Conversion Law is implemented in Jammu & Kashmir. This would stop the forcible conversion of people belonging to any religion whatsoever. As a result of the same, the friction between the different communities would also come to an end once for all. There would be no tensions between the communities and all the people would live without fear,” APSCC leader said.
On Sunday, a delegation of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) met J&K L-G Sinha and sought the safe return of a Sikh girl to her family, who was allegedly abducted, forcibly converted and married off in Srinagar.
