Defiant VHP digs deeper into mire

However, the allegations against Mother Teresa became stronger. Having accusedChristian organisations of setting up and supporting separatist militant outfits, the VHP today extended the charge to Nobel Peace Prize awardee, the late Mother Teresa.

8220;She was supporting terrorists in Albania. Even the BBC reported this,8221; said VHP international general secretary and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh pracharak Giriraj Kishore. 8220;I asked a lady in Britain about her and she exclaimed, Who? that fraud?8217; 8221; said Kishore. As for her work here, her only motive was conversion, Singhal and he said. Both refused to call her Mother8217;. 8220;The Britishers referred to Mahatma Gandhi as Mr Gandhi8217;. Why should we call her Mother8217;?8221; asked Kishore.

Singhal said he developed a deep 8220;hatred for Teresa8221; after he learnt of her activities through a girl from Allahabad who had gone to meet her for research work. 8220;The girl was put up away from Teresa8217;s centre when she mentioned to Teresa that she would not adopt Christianity. By evening, a doctor came to give her an injection, saying Teresa had said the girlwas mentally ill. She had to flee the place to save herself. So many others must have been made insane by such injections,8221; Singhal alleged.

Singhal was also annoyed with statements emanating from the BJP. Asked to comment on the BJP dissociating itself with the VHP stand, Singhal vented ire on party spokesman Venkaiah Naidu.

8220;He issued a statement without consulting us8230; without knowing the facts. This was a very wrong thing to do. The BJP has its government in Gujarat. They could have asked their government. The Gujarat government has said that it was the Hindus which were being attacked,8221; said Singhal.

Earlier, along with the resolution to send a team of pilgrims to Sharda Peeth in PoK, Kishore released copies of another resolution, regarding 8220;mass conversions of Hindus by Christians8221; adopted at today8217;s meeting of the VHP8217;s board of trustees. It read: 8220;The Christian Churches have announced that the 21st century is for evangelisation of Asia. In this programme, the main target will be theHindus of India. On various platforms, all the Churches lament that only 2 per cent of the Hindus have adopted Christianity, and that 98 per cent still believe in false gods.

8220;VHP condemns this evangelisation programme which is nothing but a programme of conversion. Cardinals Arinze and Ratzinger have clearly stated that conversion is the prime activity of the Catholic Church. Other Christian churches operating in India have expressed similar sentiments.8220;The conversion of the people has invariably led to secessionist movements. The funds allegedly brought in India for propagation of Christianity are used for purchase of arms and other equipment to conduct a violent assault on the Indian state.

8220;In addition, there is a concerted attempt to defame VHP and other Hindu organisations by falsely accusing them of being responsible for the various attacks on Christians. This is being done to hide their true face and divert the attention of the Hindus away from their evangelisation and anti-nationalprogrammes.

8220;As in the past, the Hindus will face this onslaught with the same vigour to frustrate this programme. VHP will launch a countrywide campaign to counteract this assault not only on the Hindu religion but also on Hindu culture. VHP appeals to all Hindus and nationalist Christians to be aware of the danger that is being faced and support the VHP.8221;

As for the resolve to send pilgrims to Sharda peeth in POK, Kishore said the territory it lay in did not belong to Pakistan and hence no visas would be asked for. He said the VHP would launch an awareness campaign before undertaking the task and try and get some members of Parliament to go with the pilgrims.

8220;They shall face bullets if they have to,8221; he said. He, however, agreed that the Indian army itself would prevent them from crossing over.

On plans for Mahavir Jayanti and Bakr-Id on March 29, Kishore said the day was one of non-violence for Jains, while for Muslims, it was one of qurbani. Efforts were needed to maintain peace, he said,adding that the VHP apprehended trouble that day, 8220;but not from the peaceful Jains8221;. He said the VHP would resist killing of animals that day.