: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has planned to hold at least 41 conferences throughout Odisha in February with an aim to increase its support base, while the BJP is also busy with a large scale membership drive in the State.
During these conferences, area-wise future action plans of the VHP and its youth wing Bajrang Dal, will be decided.
One of these conferences would be held on February 1 in Berhampur, which would be attended by 5,000 delegates from Ganjam, which is the home district of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Speaking to newsmen in Berhampur on Friday, State coordinator of the Bajrang Dal Ramakant Rath and vice president of Odisha unit of the VHP Ramesh Chandra Tripathy said the VHP wanted to increase its activities and membership in Odisha during the continuing golden jubilee year of the organisation.
The VHP aims to have their village committees in most rural areas of Odisha. In Ganjam district, they have targeted to have their committees in at least 1,000 villages.
Mr Rath said a major protest agitation would be held in the cattle market of Hinjli, the constituency of Odisha Chief Minister, against cow slaughter.
“Through the village level committees, we will try to build relations with families who have been converted to other religions through lure and deceit. They would be persuaded to come back to Hinduism,” Mr Rath said.
During the 41 conferences of the VHP to be held in February, targets for re-conversion for each area of Odisha, may be decided to be worked upon, said VHP leaders.
In Ganjam, the target of the VHP and Bajrang Dal is to contact and persuade 1,000 families of other religions to reconvert to Hinduism.
While, the thrust would be on attempts of ‘re-conversion’ to Hinduism and protest against cow slaughter, the VHP and Bajrang Dal would also try to extend their reach through large-scale plantation drives, health camps in every revenue block area and special reform centres in slums.
For its organisational activities, the VHP has divided Odisha into 41 regions. Eastern Odisha has 21 regions, while western Odisha has 20. Larger districts like Ganjam have been divided into two organisational regions of the VHP. In February, VHP will hold organisational conferences in all 41 regions of Odisha.
VHP aims to have their village committees
in most rural areas of Odisha
Protest agitation would be held in the cattle market of Hinjli against cow slaughter
