BJP MP from Bangalore South Tejasvi Surya has said that he is withdrawing his comments on the ‘reconversion’ of Muslims and Christians to ‘bring them back’ to Hinduism, because they have ‘regrettably created an avoidable controversy.’ “At a program held in Udupi Sri Krishna Mutt two days ago, I spoke on the subject of ‘Hindu Revival in Bharat’. Certain statements from my speech has regrettably created an avoidable controversy. I therefore unconditionally withdraw the statements,” Tejasvi Surya tweeted.
Tejasvi Surya had triggered a row after he called for the ‘ghar wapsi’ (religious conversion to Hinduism) of Muslims and Christians in India. Speaking at an event at the Udupi Krishna Mutt on Saturday, December 25, the MP said that groups who converted to other religions during the course of India’s history must be reconverted to Hinduism on a “war footing.” Videos of Tejasvi’s provocative speech, which was live-streamed on Saturday, had gone viral on social media.
In addition to the ‘reconversion’ remarks, the Bengaluru MP had asked mutts and temples to ‘take leadership’ to propagate the idea of ‘Akhanda Bharath.’
“We have built Ram Mandir in this country. Article 370 of Jammu and Kashmir is done away with. We should convert the Muslims of Pakistan to Hinduism. We have to prioritise Ghar wapsi. Pakistan is included in the idea of Akhanda Bharath. Mutts and temples should take leadership in this regard,” said Surya, who has been in controversies previously for his comments against religious minorities in India. He went on to say that temples and mutts should have “yearly targets” of people that they re-convert to Hinduism.
At a program held in Udupi Sri Krishna Mutt two days ago, I spoke on the subject of ‘Hindu Revival in Bharat’.
— Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) December 27, 2021
Certain statements from my speech has regrettably created an avoidable controversy. I therefore unconditionally withdraw the statements.
“The only option left for the Hindus is to re-convert all those who have gone out of the Hindu fold. There is no other solution. We wonder whether it is possible, because it does not come naturally to us. But today, we must evolve. This metamorphosis must come in our DNA,” Tejasvi claimed.
The MP said that in order to make the Hindu ideology stronger, “Western” ideas such as Communism, “Meccaism” and colonialism – forces that he believes aim to “destroy” the Sanatan dharma – must be understood, in order to “defeat the enemy.” “If you do not know who your enemy is, you can never put up a defence,” he said, adding that identifying those who are responsible for trying to erase Hinduism from the world “is essential” for the survival of the Hindu race.
“Either by threat or allurement, the Hindu has been taken out from his mother religion. There is only one possible solution…to address this anomaly…those people who have left their mother religion and have for various socio-political, economic reasons over the course of India’s history…those who have gone out of the Hindu fold must be brought back in whole, brought back into the Hindu faith, brought back to the mother faith,” Tejasvi had claimed.
“All the mutts and temples should have annual targets to bring back people to Hindu religion. For instance, there were people who had to undergo religious conversion because of Tipu Sultan. That is why it is important to bring these people back to the fold of Hinduism. That is the only way a renaissance can happen,” Tejasvi had said.