The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) is not encouraging ‘ ghar vapsi’ (home coming) programme in West Bengal for the time being.
Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, VHP leaders clarified that they had “no plans to convert” people in Bengal, even if one-fourth of the Bengalis are Muslims, as per 2001 Census.
Earlier this month, Bajrang Dal and Dharm Jagran Samithi, Rashtriya Swamsevak Sangh (RSS) affiliates, allegedly converted over 350 Bengali Muslims to Hinduism in Agra in Uttar Pradesh. Even though many of them migrated to Uttar Pradesh from Bengal, the nationalist outfits have no plans to hold similar programmes here.
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“We have no plans for organising religious conversion in Bengal,” VHP national vice-president Jagannath Sahi told mediapersons. Earlier Bharatiya Janata Party leaders have said that the party had no plans to “actively” oppose cow slaughter in the border districts of Bengal.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, senior VHP leaders, Ashok Singhal and Pravin Togadia are due to address a convention here on Saturday. “Our members from Kolkata and adjoining districts will participate in the public meeting at Shahid Minar ground in large numbers,” said VHP leader Chinmay Dutta.