Saffron bodies to focus on service activities

From Ibn Live
HYDERABAD: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad will lay more emphasis on service activities across the country, its new international president G Raghava Reddy has announced.

Addressing his maiden press conference here on Wednesday after his elevation, Reddy said the Parishad was running 33,000 schools in the country and the number would be increased to 50,000 in three years. Full-time workers will be appointed to implement the new action plan and to create awareness on Hindutva and inculcate patriotism in� people.

Raghava Reddy, who assumed the new responsibility, said permanent buildings would be provided for VHP offices in all blocks in the country by 2014.

Replying to a question, he said his organisation had not decided yet on supporting the BJP in the 2014 general election. "We have not yet taken any decision on whom the VHP should support in the coming elections. We will take a stand after discussing the issue in the organisation."

Responding to the ban on the Bhagavagadgita in a Russian region, he said the VHP would react only after the Russian court delivered its verdict on December 28. He said Russians decided to ban the Gita because they did not understand it. The VHP would convey Hindus' feelings to the Russian government through the Indian government, he said, adding that Indians were a very small community in Russia but they had conveyed their feelings to the Russian government. VHP vice-president Ashok Chawla was handling the issue, he said. �

Reddy praised civil society leader Anna Hazare for the movement he launched against corruption and said the entire Indian youth was supporting him. The VHP was also supporting Hazare movement, he said.

On demands for smaller states, the VHP leader said it belonged to the political domain but the VHP would� work to unite all the Hindus who were living in the entire world. "We don't have any objection if the government decides to divide the country into 100 states. In all the states, the VHP will be working to implement its agenda.''

Raghava Reddy said many problems of India would be solved if the Centre curbed ISI activities, terrorism and religious� conversations. He took strong objection to political leaders describing Hindutva as one form of saffron terrorism and� demanded that they tender an unconditionally apology.

The VHP leader accused the state government of failing totally to prevent cow slaughter in Hyderabad and other parts of the state.