Foreign funds behind religious conversion: VHP

The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) today alleged that foreign funds were being used for large scale religious conversion while Hindu leaders were being harassed and falsely implicated.

"Centre is encouraging religious conversion in parts of the country. Foreign funds are being used for conversion with Centre's full knowledge," VHP international president Ashok Singhal said at a spiritual convention here.

Charging Centre with failing to protect Hindu religion, Indian culture and democracy, he claimed that about 1.5 lakh temples and mutts in states like Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala were on the verge of ruin due to negligence by Centre as well as respective state governments.

Claiming that the  Hindu spiritual leaders and sadhus were being targeted, Singhal said about 17,000 cases with false charges had been slapped against sadhus in Orissa. Shankaracharya of Kanchi was falsely implicated, he said.

Referring to Maoist menace, Singhal said foreign funds and arms were being used for spread of naxal activities in states like Orissa, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh while governments remained mute spectators.

Hitting out at Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik, Singhal said the state is virtually under 'foreign rule' with scant regard for its culture, religion and tradition while religious conversion was rampant.