RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat defends religious conversions

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday defended the 'ghar wapsi' conversion campaign of Hindutva groups, saying if conversions were to be stopped, a law should be passed in Parliament.

"If Hindus can't convert others, others should not be allowed to convert Hindus," he said.

"Bring law against conversion in Parliament if you don't like conversion," he added.

Talking of the plight of Hindus in Pakistan, he said it was a Hindu country.

"Pakistan was once Bharat Bhoomi. But now you see the conditions of Hindus there.

"We didn't infiltrate in anyone's country. We didn't come from somewhere to settle here. This is our Hindu country.

"People were taken away from us by force and by luring them. We will bring them back," he said.

The comments came on a day when BJP president Amit Shah said his party was against forcible conversions and asked other political parties in the country to support a bill in this regard if they were 'sincere' in their approach to secularism.

"BJP is against forceful conversions and that is why we want to bring a law. So-called secular parties should support BJP's move," Shah told reporters in Kochi.

"A public debate on the matter can be taken up only after arriving at a consensus among political parties," he said when asked if BJP was ready to talk to minority organisations on this issue.

On the 'ghar wapsi' programme reportedly carried out by a pro-Hindu outfit in Uttar Pradesh, he said "the matter is before the court. I don't want to comment."

He dismissed Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi's allegation that BJP was trying to divide the country on communal lines. "There is no basis for that," Shah said.