DJS chief sparks fresh controversy

Rajeshwar Singh has reportedly said Muslims and Christians will have to convert to Hinduism by 2021

Rajeshwar Singh, western Uttar Pradesh chief of the Hindutva outfit Dharm Jagran Samiti (DJS), has created another controversy. Attending a function in Etah on Thursday, he reportedly said India would be made free of Christians and Muslims by 2021 as all of them would have to convert to Hinduism. He announced that the cancelled Ghar Vapsi programme of the samiti in Aligarh would be held in January.

The Aligarh police quoted Mr. Singh as saying, “There was no Muslim or Christian in Bharat. Everybody was a Hindu. Our target is that India would be made free of Muslims and Christians by 2021 because these two communities don’t have the right to stay here.”

“Nobody protests when innocent Dalits are lured to convert into Christianity but all these political parties protest when those, who by mistake or out of fear had converted, want to come back in the fold of Hinduism,” he added.

The State police swung into action after the local media reported the statement on Saturday. The administration is collecting the recording of the speech. The police said they would take action after verifying the authenticity of the statement.

Mohit Agarwal, Deputy Inspector-General, Aligarh range, told The Hindu that the police were verifying the authenticity of the statement. “If what he has reportedly said turns out to be true, then he will be prosecuted because nobody has the right to hurt the sentiments of any religious community and disturb law and order and communal harmony,” he said.

The police of western Uttar Pradesh districts have been alerted to possible attempts by the right-wing groups to organise

Ghar Vapsi events. The State administration last week banned events related to religious conversion which may disturb communal harmony in the region.