Violence a bigger issue than religious conversion: RSS

The RSS today said violence is of more concern to them than the religious conversions going around in the country.

"What concerns us is not conversion but conversion of tolerant people into violent ones in the process", RSS media in-charge Dr Manmohan Vaidya told reporters here.

"When we have numerous gods and goddesses, what is the harm if some people choose to worship more idols after their conversion. But if the conversions were for power politics or petty gains they should be condemned and opposed as it is alien culture and runs against the Hindu culture," Dr Vaidya, a college teacher turned 'pracharak', said.

Rejecting the suggestion that poverty is the root cause for conversion, he said, "If that was so then why poor Muslims seldom get converted".

Conversion is rampant in border states because separatist forces encourage them to weaken the country, Dr Vaidya said.

While the government should take strong steps against such elements, nationalist forces should also try their best to see that separatists get defeated in their design, he said.

Replying to a question, Dr Vaidya said that the RSS provide platform to all nationalists irrespective of caste, creed and political belief and has never barred anybody from entering the organisation.

"We have people from various political parties and religions but it is unfortunate that media continues to brand us as an organisation of Hindus and an associate of BJP," he said.