New Delhi, May 7 (PTI) The Centre is conscious about public sentiments regarding reservation for the members of the Scheduled Tribes who opt for religious conversion, Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai has said reacting to a BJP MP's call for revocation of reservation and benefits of STs who convert.

Rai said all relevant matters in addition to the people's opinion will have to be considered before a decision is taken on the issue, Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai has said.

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The minister was responding to BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who had raised the issue in Lok Sabha in December last year, saying reservation and other benefits to STs who opt for religious conversion must be revoked in order to prevent conversions.

Dubey, an MP from Jharkhand, had said religious conversion was a major issue in his home state and people were being converted through lure and temptation.

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Replying to Dubey, Rai said, “The government is conscious of the public sentiments regarding reservation benefits to Scheduled Tribes after converting religion...any decision on such requests will need to take into account public opinion and all related relevant matters.”

According to the Constitution, public order is a state subject and “forced” religious conversions come under the purview of states and they are capable of forming laws to check religious conversions, he said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)