Kolkata : West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress on Wednesday claimed that over 100 Christians were converted by the VHP in Rampurhat in Birbhum district. The Hindu organisation denied the charge.
State minister and Trinamool legislator Ashish Banerjee claimed that a conversion ceremony was organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad on Wednesday in Khurmadanga village in Rampurhat in which over 100 Christians were converted.
“The conversion ceremony was conducted in Khurmadanga village. We have sought a report from the district administration and our senior leadership is discussing taking strong action in this matter,” said Banerjee, the minister of state for education, reports IANS.
Reacting strongly, Trinamool Rajya Sabha chief whip Derek O’Brien said the state government was ascertaining details and if there was “even a hint of coercion or forced conversion, the issue will be dealt in the strongest manner possible”.
“Bengal has a long history of living in communal harmony and bigots like (Pravin) Togadia will be dealt with ruthlessly. Let me say this, if there is even a hint of coercion or forced conversion the issue will be dealt with in the strongest manner possible,” O’Brien posted on Twitter.
Denying the charge, VHP organisational secretary Sachindranath Sinha said it was a religious ceremony and not a “ghar wapsi” (home-coming) – a term now being used to describe a conversion ceremony.
“The allegation of conversion is false. It was not ‘ghar wapsi’, rather a religious ceremony in which most of the villagers including a few Christians families had participated. We always welcome all those who want to come back to Hinduism, but here it was not ‘ghar wapsi’,” Sinha told IANS.However, many people who participated in the ceremony claimed they had voluntarily embraced Hinduism. “There was no coercion. I was a Christian and now I have voluntarily embraced Hinduism,” a woman told a news channel.
[alert type=”e.g. warning, danger, success, info” title=””]
Mamata rejects reports of TMC losing ground
Panagarh (WB) : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday hinted that the base of Trinamool Congress in the state was very strong and dismissed suggestions from opposition parties, including the BJP, that the ruling party was losing ground. “If the soil is strong even the tiger’s nail can break and if the soil is soft even a tadpole manages to scratch,” Mamata quoted the proverb to illustrate her contention while speaking at a programme here.
Banerjee hit out at some media houses which she said were criticising her government as they wanted to please Delhi.
Urging people to “reject such adulterated news shops”, Banerjee said, “A few dalals are only indulging in criticism.”
Addressing a programme at “Mati Utsav” in Burdwan district, she said, “Our courtesy is not our weakness. People who insult the soil of Bengal will not get our respect. We believe in courtesy. Our motto is for Change not Revenge.”
[/alert]
