Conversion-suicide row: BJP forms committee to probe Ariyalur student death

The BJP has formed a four-member committee to probe into the death of a 17-year-old student who died of suicide in Ariyalur.

The committee consists of members from four states. MP of Bhind, Madhya Pradesh, Sandhya Ray, Vijayashanti from Telangana, Chitra Tai Wagh from Maharashtra, Geetha Vivekananda from Karnataka will visit Tamil Nadu and submit the report to BJP's chief JP Nadda.

CT Ravi, BJP's national general secretary and in-charge of Tamil Nadu BJP unit, has shared the circular on this.

The Class 12 girl, a hosteller of a Christian missionary school in Thanjavur, had visited her home for Pongal holidays. She informed her parents of an unbearable stomach ache and it was later learned that she had consumed pesticide on January 9. As the toxic impact had taken over her, she didn't survive the treatment. 

In her dying declaration, recorded on a phone, she said that she was asked if the pressure to convert to Christianity led her to consume poison, to which she replied: "May be". Her parents alleged that the school management had asked her to convert to Christianity in exchange for educational expenses.

The BJP has been raising this issue over the past few days.

The sisters of the school rubbished allegations against their institution and said they have been uplifting women from marginalised communities and Dalits for 160 years. They added that this issue is being politicised.