Togadia calls for death sentence for conversion

                                                                        From The Hindu

Manas Dasgupta

Vishwa Hindu Parishad international general secretary Pravin Togadia has sought death sentence to those who attempt to convert Hindus to other religions.

Dr. Togadia was addressing the concluding session of a three-day Akhil Bharatiya Dharmaprasar Karykarta Sammelan on Monday. VHP workers from all over the country took part in it.

The sammelan was held close to Pirana Dargah, on the outskirts of the city, sending the police into a tizzy, particularly because it coincided with Bakrid.

The convention, however, ended peacefully, with the trustees of the Pirana Dargah contributing Rs 1.11 lakh to the VHP for assistance towards schools, hospitals and other humanitarian aid being run by the Parishad. Incidentally, the Pirana dargah is run by a Trust that has both Hindus and Muslims as members. Its present chief is Nanakdasji Maharaj, a Hindu.

While anti-conversion measures were a priority, re-converting the Hindus converted to Islam or Christianity was a bigger priority. Large-scale conversion of Hindus to other religions was being carried out only because of the “appeasement politics” of all major political parties, he said.

Dig at Modi

Dr. Togadia had a dig at Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Without referring to Mr. Modi's recent controversy when he was offered Muslim headgears during his “Sadbhavana Mission” fast here and again in Navsari, Dr. Togadia said of late it had become a “fashion” for him (Mr. Modi) to hobnob with the minorities and offer them “sumptuous biriyanis as being done to Mumbai attack convict Ajmal Kasab.”

Narayan Sai, son of the controversial self-styled “Godman” Asaram Bapu, felt that Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists should be considered part of the Hindu religion for, “their line of thinking is no different from that of Hindus” except for some rituals.