RSS chief Bhagwat bats for anti-conversion Bill

Kolkata, December 20

Expressing his support for the anti-conversion Bill proposed by the Centre, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat today asked Opposition parties to facilitate bringing law in Parliament, if they did not like conversion.

He also said if someone does not like to be converted to Hinduism, then Hindus likewise should not be converted.

“We are trying to create a strong Hindu society. Those who have strayed, they have not gone on their own. They have been allured and have been forcibly taken away. When the thief is being caught and my property has been recovered, when I am taking back my own property, what is new in it?” Bhagwat wondered at a Hindu sammelan here.

“If you don’t like it, then bring law against it. You don’t want to bring it. If you don’t want to change into a Hindu, then you should not convert Hindus, too. We are firm in our position,” he said.

“There is no need to fear. We are in our own country. We are not intruders or infiltrators. This is our own country, our Hindu ‘rashtra’ (nation). A Hindu will not leave his land.

“What we have lost in the past, we will try to bring it back.

“No one should be afraid of Hindus rising. Those who are raising voice against the rise of Hindus are selfish and are having vested interests,” he said.

Bhagwat said Hindu society does not believe in suppressing anyone.

“Hindus have been tolerating whether it is crimes by Bangladesh or Pakistan. Our God says that after 100 crimes, don’t tolerate crimes against Hindus,” he said.

Stating that Pakistan too had been part of India before partition, he said that Hindus do not have a very strong presence there which is why Pakistan can’t live in peace.

“Till the Hindus are here in India, the country is there.

“If Hindus are not there, then everybody living here will be in distress,” Bhagwat observed.

He also said Hindus were strong enough to save their property and honour, adding that “for the betterment of the entire world, there is need for a strong Hindu society”.

Viswa Hindu Parishad international president Pravin Togadia, too, supported Bhagwat’s view on bringing a law on anti-conversion.

“My brother Mulayam (Singh Yadav)... if conversion is a crime, if theft is a crime... if there is law against stealing, then why shouldn’t there be a law against conversion... then why are you opposing anti-conversion law in Parliament,” Togadia said.

“Even if you bring anti-conversion Bill, we will support it,” Togadia said at the meeting. — PTI