Atrocities on Hindu women in Pakistan: BJP corners government

New Delhi, May 2 (IANS) The government will make a statement on the alleged forcible conversion of Hindu women in Pakistan, Home Minister P. Chidambaram told the Lok Sabha Wednesday after the BJP raised the issue.

Responding to the concerns raised by Murli Manohar Joshi, Chidambaram said he would consult Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna before making a statement.

Speaking during Zero Hour, Joshi alleged that Hindu women were being kidnapped in Pakistan and forced to convert to Islam.

Terming it as "cultural genocide," he accused Chidambaram and Krishna of being "totally silent", adding that they were not taking the matter seriously.

Joshi said neither the prime minister nor the external affairs minister raised the issue during their meetings with Pakistani leaders.

He said 90 percent of Pakistan's Hindus lived in Sindh and young Hindu women had to suffer kidnapping, rape and forced conversion.

"If they get relief from courts, they are threatened," he said.

Citing reports, he said 25 women met this "misfortune" every month.

Joshi said atrocities against women of the minority community was not an internal matter of Pakistan since it involved religious prosecution.

Calling Pakistan a "theocratic state," Joshi said that religious prosecution of a minority community in Pakistan was not acceptable to the BJP.

He also slammed the government for "not raising" the matter in the international fora.

"Will you raise it in international fora? How long should cultural genocide be tolerated?" he said.

Joshi also sought assurance from the government that it would stand by the victims and work towards stopping the atrocities.

He was joined by other BJP leaders demanding an assurance from the government.

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