‘Return To Original Religion’: Rajasthan BJP MLA Targets Congress Leaders
The spat broke out over the Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill (2025) that was passed by the BJP-controlled Assembly amid uproar by the Congress. Read Time:3 mins Share BJP MLA Gopal Sharma (L) and the Congress’ Rafeek Khan (File). Jaipur: A crass comment by Rajasthan BJP MLA Gopal Sharma in the context of an ‘anti-conversion bill’ – that Congress leaders Rafeek Khan and Amin Kagazi should ‘return to their original religion’ – has triggered a storm in the desert state’s political landscape. Mr Khan responded with an Urdu couplet and a sharp remark, “If you’re serious about tackling forced conversions, start with Gopal Sharma himself.” The couplet Mr Khan, also the opposition’s Chief Whip quoted – “One owl is enough to destroy a garden, and now every branch has an owl perched on it – what will be the fate of the garden?” The Congress leader’s poetic rebuttal did not deter the BJP MLA, who persisted with his argument, that ‘most Muslims are converts and should return to their (original) religion’. “If they return… their ancestors’ souls will find peace,” he declared. The unseemly spat broke out over the Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill (2025) that was passed by the BJP-controlled Assembly amid uproar by the Congress.
