What is happening is 'ghar wapsi', not conversion: RSS ideologue MG Vaidya

Amid a raging row over alleged religious conversions undertaken by right-wing groups, RSS ideologue M G Vaidya on Monday said what is happening was not change in faith, but "homecoming" of those who had left the Hindu fold.

"This is not religious conversion. This is `ghar wapsi' (homecoming of Hindus who adopted other religions)," he told PTI in Nagpur when asked about faith change programmes of certain groups, an issue which has rocked Parliament and disrupted its functioning.

The `ghar wapsi' programme of Hindutva outfits is not new. It was launched in 1995-96, but this time around too much hue and cry has been raised over the issue, he maintained. On the issue figuring prominently in Parliament and leading to its repeated adjournments, the former Maharashtra MLC said the Opposition members, probably, do not have much work in the House and hence they are creating ruckus. There had been a "spurt" in conversion of Hindus into Christianity since 1964-65 but nobody raised this issue, Vaidya stated. Odisha had recorded the highest number of such conversions, he claimed.