Islamic conversion mafia is reportedly active in Maharashtra’s Daund, a town located in Pune district. According to reports, more than 200 Hindu girls and boys have been forcibly converted. Kamel Qureshi alias Haji Saheb, who is currently in prison, is believed to be the mastermind behind the forced conversion racket.

It had earlier come to light that Qureshi headed a gang of 50 persons and ran a conversion. His role came to the fore when an SC brick kiln labourer was forcibly converted and made to do Khatna (circumcision). At that time it also emerged that more than 100 labourers had been forced to embrace Islam.

“More than 200 forced conversions have taken place in a year. Muslim boys are paid up to 5 lakhs to lure and convert Hindu girls and Hindu men are being forcibly circumcised. Moreover, girls who speak out are assaulted. Locals allege netas have turned a deaf ear to their cries for help, the conversion mafia has the backing of MPs (members of Parliament), and the police are also not helping terrified victims”, says a Times Now report on the forced conversions.

“My mindset was that the boy was Hindu hence my family would accept our relationship and there won’t be any problem. When the court documents came to me, I was shocked to know that he was a Muslim”, said one of the victims who was lured by a Muslim man posing as Hindu.

“In a span of one or two years, more than 200 conversions happened here. Most of those who are converted are girls. They are 17-18 years when it happens. Some of the girls are brainwashed in college with promises of marriage. However, the girls are abandoned and divorced after they give birth. The Muslim men get ready to marry again”, another Daund resident told Times Now.

“Hindus are scared to react as the people behind the forced conversions beat up and threaten girls. They eve-tease these young girls in public but no one can even file a complaint against them. All politicians here support these men, which is why no one is ready to raise their voice. People are scared to even talk about the matter”, a local said.

“If a Hindu girl marries a Muslim guy, the Muslim youth gets around Rs 5 lakhs from the community. There are a few people behind these activities. They are Farooq Qureshi, Kamel Qureshi, Ashib Qureshi, and Farhaan Qureshi. Nobody talks against them, nor takes their names”, he added.

Hindu husbands of Muslim women are forcibly circumcised. Hindu men are reportedly honey-trapped with the intention of converting them. More than 100 men are forced to get circumcised every year in Daund.

“They pinned me down and started video-recording using a mobile phone. One Asif Sheikh held my arms and Kamel Qureshi grabbed my legs. Then, they asked a doctor to start the process. Later, they left me on the floor bleeding”, a Daund resident who married a Muslim woman said narrating his ordeal. Though they wished to live as an interfaith couple, Qureshi forcibly converted him. His wife added that her husband had received death threats from Qureshi if he didn’t convert.

It must be highlighted here that a two-judge SC (Supreme Court) bench had said on January 9 that prima facie, it believed religious conversions were actually taking place. It further observed that there is a difference between the right to freedom of religion and the right to convert.

Even Hindu society has awakened to the threat of religious conversion. Maharashtra has witnessed numerous rallies with thousands of Hindus participating and peacefully pressing their demands. Recently, a rally was held in Maharashtra’s Dhule demanding the passing of a law to curb the menace of love jihad and Islamic conversion. The participants demanded laws against forced conversions and love jihad as well as strengthening laws against cow slaughter. BJP Women’s Wing President Chitra Wagh demanded a law on the lines of the UP anti-conversion law.

“The first such rally was held under the banner of Hindu Jansangharsh Morcha way back in November in Parbhani. Since then, over two dozen such rallies have been organised in various parts of the state, including Pune, Nashik, Jalgaon, Parbhani, Dhule, Nagpur and Kolhapur”, notes Swarajya Mag.

Various Hindu organizations including Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Hindu Janjagruti Sanghatana (HJS) and others formulated and led the rallies. According to HJS National Spokesperson Ramesh Shinde, several Hindus joined the Parbhani rally as they were shocked by the Shraddha Walkar case.

A rally is scheduled to take place on Sunday (January 22) in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar. Subsequently, morchas will be held across the state demanding laws against conversions and grooming. These morchas would be conducted on Saturdays and Sundays to allow more people to participate.

“There are two important things that have emerged from these morchas. Firstly, Hindus which are normally seen as a divided group are coming together without any hesitation. Secondly, it is also busting the misconception that Hindu organisations that would normally not come together have joined forces for a cause”, highlighted Swarajya Mag.

(Featured Image Source: LRO’s Twitter Account)