Notwithstanding controversy over the conversion issue, Bharatiya Janata Party MP Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday justified such programmes saying it is an ongoing process and will continue to happen.
The Gorakhpur MP also batted for a strong anti-conversion law in Uttar Pradesh on the lines of legislation adopted by several states.
"This ghar-wapsi programme has been happening for ages. It is an on-going process and it will continue to happen," Adityanath told reporters outside Parliament.
"If the Uttar Pradesh government feels the re-conversion programme is wrong then, the way the state governments of Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat have a law...a similar legislation should be made in UP," he added.
His comments came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday asked his party MPs not to get diverted from the government's agenda of development through good governance against the background of opposition parties stalling the house over certain utterances made by party MPs.
The BJP MP also slammed the opposition over the lack of clarity for having a strong anti-conversion legislation.
"The opposition leaders should be asked on whether there should a law on conversion. And if they feel that there should be a law, then why don't they support the move of having such a law? And if they do not want a law on conversion, then why are they opposing the re-conversion programme.
"Why is the opposition running away from having a strong anti-conversion law? Why are they back-tracking from the issue," he said.
When asked about the arrest of members of a right-wing group by the UP government, Adityanath said, "The UP government is acting with a stubborn attitude. The whole action is illegal, misuse use of power."
Adityanath said he agreed with the prime minister that MPs should not deviate from the agenda of development.
"It is right. The responsibility of the MPs is to implement the developmental plans of the government. What are these controversial statements? I don't think the statement issued by the Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu is controversial that there should be strong anti-conversion law in the country," he said, when asked about the controversial statements by his party MPs.
