Religious conversions: Praveen Togadia attacks Mulayam for not bringing a law against conversion

Mumbai, Dec 15: Senior Vishva Hindu Parishad leader Praveen Togadia criticised Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav for his statement that religious conversions were not right and should be stopped.

"(Samajwadi Party chief) Mulayam Singh says that conversion is not right and it (should) stop. Do you really think conversion is wrong? If yes then why did you not work towards bringing a law against conversion in Parliament?" he said.

Faced with the opposition ire over re-conversion drive launched by some right-wing outfits, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had made a case for bringing an anti-conversion law at Centre and in all state.

"Let there be anti-conversion laws in all states. Let there be anti-conversion law at the Centre also," Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu had said in Lok Sabha.

Addressing a ‘Hindu Sammelan' here to mark the golden jubilee year of VHP, Togadia, the international president of the outfit, said construction of Lord Ram's temple in Ayodhya was linked to the "honour" of Hindu community.

"Unless a temple is built at Ayodhya, where Lord Ram was born, Hindus will not get the honour they deserve. We will definitely build the temple at Lord Ram's birthplace whether anybody likes it or not," Togadia said.

Togadia also said that ancestors of all other communities were Hindus.

"Ancestors of Christians and Muslims were Hindus. These people have only gone astray. If you wish to come back to us, we are ready to embrace you," he said.

Various right wing outfits are under fire for purportedly organising the "ghar wapsi" ceremony to re-induct some Muslim families from a slum in Agra into the Hindu fold recently, and of Christian tribals in Chhattisgarh.

Participating in a debate in Lok Sabha last week over the Agra incident, Mulayam, whose party is in power in Uttar Pradesh, had said incidents like these can cause "very grave situation" in country and ignite riots, inviting strong protests from BJP members.

PTI