BJP MP Yogi Adityanath defies PM Modi’s Lakshman Rekha

New Delhi/Lucknow: Nothwithstanding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stern warning to BJP MPs asking them not to cross the “lakshman rekha” over the conversion issue, party MP from Gorakhpur, Yogi Adityanath justified such programmes saying it is an ongoing process and will continue to happen.

“This ghar-wapsi (reconversion) programme has been happening for ages. It is an on-going process and it will continue to happen. If the Uttar Pradesh Government feels the reconversion programme is wrong, then the way the states Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat have a law...a similar legislation should be made in UP,” Mr Yogi said outside the Parliament.

His comments came after Mr Modi told his party MPs not to get diverted from the government’s agenda of development through good governance against the background of opposition parties stalling the Parliament over certain utterances made by party MPs as it hurt the government and the party.

Meanwhile, the Agra police, arrested Nand Kishore Valmiki, the main accused in the Agra conversion case. The accused surrendered before the police and was taken into custody. Police said that the accused carried a reward of Rs 12,000 on his head.