India, July 13 -- Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday warned of stern action against illegal religious conversions and labelled such incidents as a deep-rooted conspiracy against the country to change its demography.

He stressed the need to preserve the legacy of sacrifice set by Sikh Gurus and to resist attempts to divide Hindus and Sikhs. "Such conspiracies have been attempted before and will continue to surface, but we must remain vigilant and united," he said.

Adityanath was speaking at an event organised at his official residence to flag off the Guru Tegh Bahadur Sandesh Yatra to mark the 350th Shaheedi Varsh (martyrdom year) of Guru Tegh Bahadur.

Addressing a gathering of Sikhs, Adityanath said: "Religious conversions are ...