The Agra police on Tuesday arrested Nand Kishore Balmiki, who was named in the FIR lodged in connection with the alleged forced re-conversion of over 100 people to Hinduism recently.
The Uttar Pradesh Police had launched several operations to nab Balmiki, who was absconding since the row erupted.
Police teams led by Superintendent of Police Sameer Saurabh and ADM Rajesh Srivastava carried out raids at the RSS office in Madhav Bhawanin area and in Jaipur House colony, where Balmiki was tipped to be hiding.
Police officials also visited the slum in Dev Nagar and talked to the people who are at the centre of the row.
The conversion storm had stalled the proceedings in the both Houses of Parliament last week, forcing several adjournments, as Opposition members kept up their protest over conversions and demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi speak on the issue even as the government suggested a ban on the practice.
Though the government agreed to a discussion, the Opposition was not ready to relent unless Prime Minister Modi participated.
The Opposition has been protesting in wake of recent reports of conversion of Muslims to Hinduism, and also Bharatiya Janata Party MP Yogi Adityanath’ comment supporting a mass conversion programme.
Adityanath reportedly said that there is nothing wrong if people re-convert to Hinduism if they are doing it willingly.
In the centre of all this political uproar are the families who were allegedly forcibly converted. Their fate is yet to be decided.
