No new law on conversions: PM

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, Jan 17 (PTI) — The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, today said there was no proposal before his government to amend the Constitution or to frame any new law to ban conversion.

Mr Vajpayee said he had called for a national debate on conversion because "dialogue is needed to develop goodwill and confidence. No section of the Indian community should feel insecure in the country."

The Prime Minister told newsmen at the airport before leaving for New Delhi after a two-day visit to Kerala that the Roman Catholic Bishops, who called on him at the airport, had in fact welcomed the call for a dialogue. "Dialogue is always good."

Asked for his reaction to the demand for a ban on conversion, the Prime Minister said the question was debated at length in the constituent assembly and whatever was decided had "helped us in maintaining the national integrity and harmony".

He pointed out that when the law existing in some states against fraudulent conversions was challenged in court, it was upheld.

Asked whether he would welcome any proposal to extend the law banning fraudulent conversions to other states also, Mr Vajpayee said, ‘it depends on states, and I am not going to give them any advice on the issue’.

On the allegation by Kerala leaders about the Centre’s continuous neglect of the state, he quipped ‘No, not today. Not in the presence of the Chief Minister’.

The Kerala Chief Minister, Mr E.K. Nayanar, along with the Union Power Minister Mr P.R. Kumaramangalam, and the deputy leader of the BJP in the Rajya Sabha, Mr O. Rajagopal, were also present.

However, Mr Vajpayee pointed out that he visited the state twice since he assumed office.

Asked whether Kerala would be included in the proposed express highway connecting Kanyakumari and New Delhi. The Prime Minister said he had assured Mr Nayanar that the matter would be sympathetically considered.

On the reported tussle between the Trinamool Congress and the Samata Party for getting the portfolio of Railways, the Prime Minister said there was no hue and cry among the partners of the ruling coalition for getting the portfolio.

'Everybody wants speedy development of the Railways in their area because it would ensure the overall development of that area,' he said.

Asked for his reaction to Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee’s statement rejecting his (Vajpayee’s) invitation to hold talks on Cabinet expansion, the Prime Minister said, 'I haven’t seen that statement. Sorry I cannot make any comment'.

'We would like to have both Mamata and Samata,' he quipped.

The Prime Minister announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 50,000 each to the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the stampede at Pampa in Sabarimala on January 14.

The amount would be given from the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund.

Fiftyone pilgrims had lost their lives and several were injured in the stampede and landslide.