Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of whether coercion is being exercised on Indian citizens to reconvert to Hinduism.

We are aware that incidents of discrimination against minority communities in India do still occur. India’s Constitution guarantees freedom of conscience and the right to freely profess, practice and propagate religion. The Indian government has a range of policies and programmes to support religious minorities.

We discuss minority issues with the Indian authorities and support minority groups through the Department for International Development’s programme in India which helps to promote equal treatment and access to services for the most disadvantaged communities.

I refer the noble Baroness to my previous answers of 31 December 2014 (HL3847 and HL3848).