Updated on Saturday, October 14, 2006, 00:00 IST

Nagpur, Oct 14: The All India Conference of SC/ST Organisations, Lord Buddha Club and the All India Christian Council would organise mass conversions here today where a large number of Dalits will embrace Buddhism and Christianity, SC/ST conference president Udit Raj and council chief Joseph D'Souza said yesterday.

The copies of the Anti-Conversion Laws passed by the BJP ruled states like Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat, will also be burnt on the occasion, Raj and D'Souza told a joint press conference.

A large number of Dalits from across the country will embrace Christianity and Buddhism on the occasion of world religious freedom day, to express their religious freedom, they said.

A good number of international human rights activists from different organisations will be observing the conversions today, Raj said.

D'Souza said the main concern of council is about religious freedom enshrined in the constitution. Christians in these BJP ruled states were targetted and beated, he alleged.

Raj said Buddhists and Jains were much agitated and outraged at the atrocious bill of Gujarat government.

Raj and D'Souza said as a protest against Anti-Conversion Bill of saffron states, Dalits will convert their religion from Hinduism to Buddhism and Christianity.

Raj questioned the propriety of conducting the last rites of late BSP supremo Kanshi Ram according to Buddhist rituals by Mayawati when he (Kanshi Ram) was not actually a Buddhist.

Kanshi Ram had assured at a Bhopal rally some five years back to embrace Buddhism but was never a Buddhist, he said.

Bureau Report