4-inch heart, not 56-inch chest needed

4-inch heart, not 56-inch chest needed to come to Parliament Opposition's taunt Modi

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to make a statement on Monday in Rajya Sabha, which has witnessed uproar for almost a fortnight now over the opposition's continued attack on the government in the conversion controversy.

A united opposition on Monday said the government is following "an unacceptable agenda" of trying to convert Muslims and Christians to Hinduism and demanded a statement from PM Modi in Rajya Sabha, where the NDA government is in a minority.

"You don't need a 56-inch chest to come here; you just need a four-inch heart to come here," Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien said, referring to Modi's famous claim to having a big and strong chest. "The PM must give a statement. All this is a threat to integrity and unity of our nation," CPI's D Raja said.

This session of Parliament ends on Tuesday and Parliament's paralysis over conversions has made the government unable to push through important economic reforms.

On Saturday, Rashtriya Swayamsvak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat said that India is a "Hindu nation" where many Hindus had been forcibly converted to other religions. "We will bring back those who have lost their way. They did not go on their own," Bhagwat said.

Bhagwat's comments came after the BJP said it did not support forced religious conversions and called for an anti-conversion law. Modi has been under fire for being slow to rein in hardline affiliate groups that have been accused of promoting a Hindu-dominant agenda that includes luring Muslims and Christians to convert to Hinduism.

Last week, Modi attended Rajya Sabha but refused to address the House which has been protesting ever since a controversial conversion event was organised in Agra by right-wing groups two weeks ago