London, June 29: The National Commission for Minorities has taken exception to certain clauses in Gujarat's anti-conversion legislation, making it compulsory for a person seeking to convert to get prior permission from district authorities. "We have written to the Gujarat government saying that the clause regarding getting prior permission from the district authorities is uncalled for," the commission chairman Tarlochan Singh said yesterday.
Speaking at a reception hosted in his honour by the mayor of NRI-dominated Ealing, Gurcharan Singh, the NCM chairman said the Indian constitution guaranteed its citizens freedom of worship. "In India any body can adopt any religion and the constitution guarantees freedom of worship," he said
Tarlochan Singh said the situation in Gujarat was now much better and the atmosphere was good. "There is proper coordination between the government and the minorities, particularly Muslims," he said.
He pointed out that the government had sanctioned Rs.131 crore for the relief of riot-affected people in the state.
Singh told the large gathering of NRIs, mostly hailing from Punjab, that Sikhs who settled here should not get involved in the "politics" in Punjab. Instead they should take active part in politics here, in their adopted motherland.
He cited the example of the Jewish community in Britain who he said had 60 MPs in the House of Commons as against just two by the NRIs. Bureau Report