BJP favours law banning conversion: Amit Shah

Targeting the Opposition, he said the “so-called secular parties” have not made their stand clear on the issue. “If these parties are sincere in their approach towards secularism, they have to come forward and make clear their stand on forcible conversion.”

He said the BJP was ready for a debate on the issue with other political parties. To a query whether the BJP would be ready to discuss the issue with minority outfits, he said the BJP will discuss it with other organisations only after political parties come to a consensus on the issue.

Shah refused to comment on the ‘ghar wapsi (reconversion)’ campaign of RSS affiliates. “Since the issue is before the court, I don’t want to comment,’’ he said.

He said there was no basis in the allegation of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi that the BJP was dividing the country on communal lines.

On the issue of bringing back black money to the country, Shah said only the Modi government had taken strong measures. Within six months, the BJP government had taken several steps which the UPA did not during its decade-long rule, he said.

He said a special investigation team had been formed. Bilateral treaties, he said, had slowed down the pace of action but the Prime Minister had intervened to clear hurdles.

On his party’s strategy for Kerala, Shah said the NDA had to be strengthened in the state and the BJP wanted to bring in its fold 40 lakh people. He said the BJP would try to put up a strong show in the next elections to local bodies. The state unit of the party, he said, would work out plans in this regard.

Elections to local bodies in Kerala are due in 2015, the assembly in 2016.