Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik
Uttar Pradesh governor Ram Naik today stepped into his second political controversy in less than a week as he appeared to support religious conversions and used the example of BR Ambedkar, the father of the Indian Constitution.
"Conversions should be based on ideology. Baba Ambedkar quit Hinduism to embrace Buddhism. If conversions are on an ideological basis, no one should object," Mr Naik said.
The 80-year-old governor is yet to come out of the row last week over his statement backing the building of a Ram temple in Ayodhya.
"The Ram Temple should be built as soon as possible, this is what the people of this country want and their wishes should be fulfilled," Mr Naik had said at an event in Faizabad near Ayodhya, home to the decades-old dispute over the razed Babri mosque site that many Hindus believe was the birthplace of Lord Ram.
A former BJP parliamentarian and union minister, Mr Naik was appointed governor to Uttar Pradesh in July as part of a series of switches in top posts after the BJP came to power. He has raised eyebrows before with comments that have been seen as inappropriately political.
"I say whatever I think is appropriate according to the Constitution, That is my duty and right," he said today.
Mr Naik's statements have added to the government's troubles at a time it has been on the defensive over controversial statements by its MPs in support of the religious conversion of some 200 people in Agra in Uttar Pradesh last week.
BJP MP Yogi Adityanath has frequently called it "Ghar-Wapsi (homecoming)" and has been talking about a bigger programme in Aligarh to convert a group of Hindus and Christians on Christmas, which has been disallowed by the police.
A united opposition has demanded a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has reportedly expressed his displeasure at the utterances by his party MPs.