Nothing wrong in ‘ghar wapsi’, says VHP

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad on Sunday waded into the controversy relating to religious conversions, saying there is nothing wrong in its ‘ghar wapsi’ programme and called for a law to check “forced” conversions.

The VHP said Parliament should pass a law on forced religious conversions and maintained that while conversions were wrong, there is nothing wrong in ‘ghar wapsi’ or reconversion back to Hinduism.

Addressing a congregation here to mark VHP’s golden jubilee,  VHP’s International Working President Pravin Togadia said Congress President Sonia Gandhi and SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav should ensure passage of a bill in Parliament to prevent religious conversions. “Let there be no conversions, but say yes to ghar wapsi,” he said addressing the gathering.

Claiming that Hindus were not safe in India, he said if we are not careful, then states like Assam, West Bengal and Kerala will be “devoid” of any Hindu population.

Togadia also slammed US President Barack Obama for his recent “religious intolerance” remarks, saying “we do not require sermons” as they have failed to prevent an attack on a temple there. He, however, did not name the US President.

Togadia said Art. 25 of the Constitution lays down that a person has freedom of conscience and can engage in free profession, practice and propagation of religion.

The VHP leader’s remarks came days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in Lok Sabha that “nobody has the right to discriminate on the basis of religion... No one has the right to take law into his hands”.

Referring to the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Togadia said VHP is celebrating a festival on Sunday to marks its anniversary as there is still no Ram Temple there. “We will have festivities once there is a Ram temple, once four lakh Kashmiri Hindus return to the Valley trampling on the chests of jihadis,” he said.