Religious conversions rampant in AP: VHP

Vijayawada: Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) general secretary Milind Parande informed that the temple construction at Ayodhya was going on at a quick pace and the sacred Bala Ram idols will be consecrated by Makar Sankranti of 2024. A grand function will be organised on the occasion.

He addressed a press conference here on Tuesday and said that the VHP would organise the Bajrangdal Sourya Jagaran Yatra all over India soon. Yatra would cover 80 per cent of villages in Andhra Pradesh, he added.

He said that in view of completing 60 years of its formation, the VHP had planned to conduct many programmes across the country. “Programmes are targeted to expand the organisation. The present 60,000 committees are expected to become 1 lakh and the membership will be increased from 72 lakh to 1 crore. In Andhra Pradesh, Vishwa Hindu Parishad is organising 27 service activities for 40 years in Harijan and Girijan areas. There are 950 students in our schools run by Vishwa Hindu Parishad in Andhra Pradesh with 520 in the hostels. This will be doubled in near future,” he informed.

Milind Parande further said that the Dharmacharya would travel all over India to address the people about Hindu Jagaran against conversions, Kutumba Prabodhan and Samata.

The VHP general secretary alleged that religious conversions were going on at a large-scale in Andhra Pradesh. He demanded the State government to bring an Anti-Conversion Bill immediately to contain the conversations.

He also demanded that the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) should give priority to the darshan of common devotees. He said that the Hindu temples must get rid of the government control and their properties should be protected. The income generated by the temples must be spent for propagating Hindu dharma. The shops at the temples must be given only to Hindus, he added.

Milind Parande alleged that the Andhra Pradesh government had nominated corrupt people and economic offenders as members of the TTD Trust Board and added that the VHP was opposing this and demanding to take people of integrity and God fearing ones in temple trust boards all over Andhra. Referring to the comments of Tamil Nadu Minister Udayanidhi Stalin on Sanatana Dharma, he said that the VHP vehemently opposed the remarks and demanded unconditional apology.

VHP Central member Y Raghavulu, State president V Sri Venkateswaralu, secretary T Ravi Kumar, treasurer V Durga Prasad Raju, Vijayawada Mahanagar president Sana Srinivas and others were present.