Friday, December 26, 2025
ADVT 
India

Poor Muslims In Agra Who Converted Will Be Given Ration Cards: Bajrang Dal

IANS, 09 Dec, 2014 12:40 PM
    A Bajrang Dal leader said Tuesday that all the 300 poor Muslims who he said had embraced Hinduism here will be given ration cards they badly lacked.
     
    Amid claims by one of the 300 that they were forced to give up Islam, Bajrang Dal's Ajju Chauhan said everyone in the group would be now taught Hindu rituals.
     
    The Bajrang Dal organised the conversion ceremony Monday.
     
    Chauhan, the group's co-convener, said Tuesday that all those who converted to Hinduism would be "Sanskritised". They would be registered as voters and would get ration cards. 
     
    He said the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), to which the Bajrang Dal is allied, had been working "hard for three months to persuade them to convert to Hinduism". 
     
    The 300 members of some 60 Muslim families who reportedly embraced Hinduism Monday evening live in a slum on the outskirts of the Taj city -- and are miserably poor.
     
    Most of them had lived near Madhu Nagar on Gwalior Road for 17 long years after migrating either from West Bengal or Bangladesh. 
     
    Agra's Muslim leaders mostly declined to comment on the episode.
     
    But one Muslim scholar who did not want to be quoted by name alleged that those who converted were not Muslims.
     
    "It is true that they are all from outside Agra, perhaps from Bangladesh, and had been living here illegally as they have no voter, Adhaar or ration cards," he said.
     
    Munira, one of the 300, alleged they were lured to the event on the promise of giving them a plot of land and ration cards.
     
    "We were taken to a place where a fire ceremony was on," Munira told ABP news channel. "We were made to sit there. We became panicky. We were told to pray to Hindu gods. We did whatever they told us...
     
    "But now we are again reading the Holy Quran and our family members offered namaz today," he added.
     
    Agra's Senior Superintendent of Police Shalabh Mathur said no complaint had been registered regarding the event. "We will take action if there is a complaint."
     
    A Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader, Premendra Jain, wondered if Bangladeshis could be allowed to live in India if they give up Islam.
     
    "We have been demanding the expulsion of all Bangladeshis living illegally in India," Jain told IANS. 
     
    "Now these people have been converted to Hinduism. Does it mean all those staying in India illegally will be allowed to stay here if they convert?"

    MORE India ARTICLES

    Punjab's Rs 65,000-crore investment: Is it for real?

    Punjab's Rs 65,000-crore investment: Is it for real?
    In the last three months, Sukhbir Singh Badal has been preening over the success of last December's "Progressive Punjab Investors' Summit", claiming that the creme-de-la-creme of Indian industry had promised to invest nearly Rs.67,000-crore (Rs.670 billion/$11 billion) in the state.

    Punjab's Rs 65,000-crore investment: Is it for real?

    Police arrest 14 AAP members, AAP alleges bias

    Police arrest 14 AAP members, AAP alleges bias
    Police have arrested 14 AAP members on charges of rioting outside the BJP office here and said Thursday they were looking two key AAP leaders. The AAP accused the police of bias.

    Police arrest 14 AAP members, AAP alleges bias

    'Indian EVMs the envy of many countries'

    'Indian EVMs the envy of many countries'
    Our EVMs have been described glowingly, interestingly enough also by many high courts in judgments while examining petitions in the years gone by. It is, as I have often stated, an efficient and tamper-proof machine

    'Indian EVMs the envy of many countries'

    AAP, BJP supporters clash on Delhi, Lucknow streets

    AAP, BJP supporters clash on Delhi, Lucknow streets
    Protests by AAP workers outside the BJP offices in the national and Uttar Pradesh capitals against party chief Arvind Kejriwal's detention in Gujarat snowballed into a pitched battle between members of both parties.

    AAP, BJP supporters clash on Delhi, Lucknow streets

    India goes to poll in 9 phases from April 7 to May 12, Results on May 16

    India goes to poll in 9 phases from April 7 to May 12, Results on May 16
    India will elect a new parliament over nine days in April-May in the world's largest democratic exercise, with the Election Commission Wednesday saying the results will be declared May 16.

    India goes to poll in 9 phases from April 7 to May 12, Results on May 16

    Sentiment, India Inc. score via 'Satyameva Jayate'

    Sentiment, India Inc. score via 'Satyameva Jayate'
    The jury is out on whether or not "Satyameva Jayate" and now Season 2 give enough bang to the brands that spare shareholder money on buying airtime on the show

    Sentiment, India Inc. score via 'Satyameva Jayate'