In poll-bound Vadodara, pamphlet warns Hindus of ‘minority conspiracy’

The leaflets says that Hindus have been gradually outnumbered by Muslims and Christians since 1947 because Hindu girls are being lured by “well-dressed Muslim boys lurking around colleges, hostels and school gates” to “produce progeny and increase their number”.

The leaflet carries a quote, attributed to Swami Vivekanand which says, “When one person from the Hindu society converts to Islam or Christianity, it does not mean a Hindu less. It means one enemy more”.

Although the veracity of the attribution is questionable, the pamphlet further states that boys and men from the minority community “take on Hindu names” and target “naive Hindu women who come in contact with them as students, patients and legal clients, maidservants or distressed women”.

Although active members of the VHP in Vadodara confirmed that the pamphlet has been distributed in Vadodara and other parts of the state as part of their ongoing “agitation against love jihad”, the members denied furthering it as part of any political or election campaign.

A VHP member said, “This is not part of any election campaign. It is not true that the leaflets are distributed only in constituencies going to bypolls.”

The pamphlet minces no words while admonishing parents and states that despite being married, men from the minority community perform “nikah” with Hindu girls to satiate their urge and incite their friends to do the same. “Later, they force Hindu girls into prostitution or sell them off… They abduct helpless Hindu girls living alone or with widowed mothers in their neighbourhood…,” it says.

The leaflet, printed and published by the VHP, bears its Rajkot, Karnavati (Ahmedabad) and Surat addresses and phone numbers. The pamphlet serves as a warning to “Hindu parents” to file police complaints if such incidents of “trapping” have happened to them and to keep their young daughter away from obscenity and beauty competitions. The pamphlet urges Hindu parents to “bring back their daughters with honour to their homes” and to seek support from the VHP if needed.