New Delhi: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) will launch an 11-day campaign from Monday to press for stricter laws against “illegal” conversions. It will also seek a legal provision to ensure that tribals who embrace Islam or Christianity do not get the reservation and other benefits provided to Scheduled Tribes under the Constitution.
VHP working president Alok Kumar told in a press conference here on Saturday that before this nationwide campaign, VHP contacted BJP, Congress, JDU, RJD, AAP, Trinamool Congress, CPI(M) and National Conference and asked them about the anti-conversion law and others. Requested to support its demand for amendment in the constitution to prevent tribals who have given up their religion to adopt religion from taking advantage of reservation and other benefits.
However, he also did not specify which MPs the VHP had approached in support of its demand. Kumar said that during this campaign various programs would be organized to empower the Hindu society and the program would end on December 31. “Those who have converted to other religions, efforts will be made to bring them back to Hinduism,” he said.
He said that literature and pamphlets would be distributed to expose those engaged in conversion and public meetings and small meetings would be organized and people would be made aware so that Hindu society could see and stop anti-Hindu activities. He claimed, “It is not that people are adopting other religions at their discretion. They are being converted out of greed, fear or deceit.”
Kumar said that any conversion out of greed, fear or deceit is against the religious freedom enshrined in the Constitution and the dignity of the individual. “A law should be made by the states and the Center against such conversions,” he said.