South MP and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Tejasvi Surya have triggered a political slugfest after he called for a ‘Ghar Wapsi’ of people who converted from the Hindu faith to other religions as a way to protect and review the religion.
Speaking on Saturday at the Udupi Krishna Mutt, the young MP continued with his style of communally provocative speeches amid concerns over the state government’s controversial anti-conversion bill.
“Those people who have left their mother religion and have for various socio, political and economic reasons throughout India’s History. Those who have gone out of the Hindu fold must be brought back in whole, brought back to the mother faith, to the Hindu faith,” Surya said during his over one-hour long speech in the coastal district.
Surya did not stop there with his speech, which went on to attack the ideas of other religions.
“Christianity and Islam are not mere religions. They are political imperial ideologies, and Hindus should understand this,” he said.
He added that it was essential for Hindus to understand “who their enemies are”.
{{/usCountry}}He added that it was essential for Hindus to understand “who their enemies are”.
{{/usCountry}}“The first thing we need to do, identify who is trying to wipe our religion from the face of the earth. This is essential for survival for Hinduism and the Hindu race,” he said.
The speech attracted adulation from the hard right and criticism from the larger society.
“If everyone has a #GharWapsi as desired by the BJP, where exactly will they fit them in the varna system or will all be considered as Brahmins by default? That would be an interesting proposition for #GharWapsi,” Priyank Kharge, former minister and Congress legislator from Kalaburagi said in a post on Twitter.
“And these persons “brought back” will be casteless, I assume? This whole Hinduism is under threat is a ploy by the Hindutva brigade to reestablish the caste hierarchical society,” Karti Chidambaram, Congress MP from Tamil Nadu, said.
The statements come at a time when there have been attacks against the Christian community in Karnataka, which under the Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government, has been trying to implement the contentious laws that are core to the beliefs of its ideological parent, RSS.
These include the recently mooted anti-conversion law, anti-cattle slaughter legislation and the special marriages act or which the right-wing calls ‘love jihad’.
There have been similar hate speech allegations against prominent seers and other politicians from across the country, adding to communal tensions in the country.
A video of prominent Hindu seers making provocative remarks in an event in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, between December 17-19, has gone viral on social media.
Another speech by a controversial politician, Asaduddin Owaisi had made provocative remarks during an election speech in Uttar Pradesh.
“Please remember, Yogi will not always be the Chief Minister. Modi will not be the Prime Minister forever. We Muslims will not forget your injustice. We will remember this injustice. Allah will destroy you through his strength. Things will change. Who will come to save you then? When Yogi will return to his mutt and Modi will retreat to the mountains, then who will come?” Owaisi said, attracting sharp criticism.