Another important issue that VHP raised with the MPs is the release of all temples from government (Central and State) hold. File
| Photo Credit: G. Ramakrishna

Vishwa Hindu Parishad is seeking nationwide population policy from the government, said VHP working president Alok Kumar in Delhi on Monday. VHP office-bearers claimed to have met over 286 MPs from across parties during the initial days of the ongoing Parliament session and maintained that representatives from all communities supported the idea of a population policy.

“During our Sansad Sampark Abhiyan, MPs from all communities were convinced with the fact that there must a population policy. The MPs from minorities wanted us to create awareness on population control front via jan jagran but were not very keen to openly talk on the policy,” Mr. Kumar said, adding that the VHP had also met with MPs from minority communities from Kerala and Jammu and Kashmir.

Also Read | Does India need a population policy?

The VHP maintained that the marriageable age is an important factor in the present time and supported the government’s idea of making 21 as marriageable age for both men and women.  

The Bill to raise the marriageable age for women to 21 from 18 is pending.

Another important issue that VHP raised with the MPs is the release of all temples from government (Central and State) hold.

“As per the data given to us by Acharya Sabha, over two lakh temples across India are under government control. These temples give ₹1,80,000 crore to the government per year. When the government doesn’t run mosques, churches, gurudwaras, why does it take control over Hindu temples,” Mr. Kumar asked.

Very recently, the Goswamis who own and run the famous Banke Bihari temple in Mathura (Uttar Pradesh) had alleged that the U.P. government led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is trying to take over the temple to get its money.

As its third demand, VHP wanted the Central government to stop propagating religious tourism and make a separate ministry for ‘religious tourism’.

This came after BJP-led states like U.P., Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Uttarakhand are already hyping religious tourism. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on several occasions, has said that religious tourism creates emplacement and ensures that future generations remain connected with tradition.

Speaking about launching nationwide Dharma Raksha Abhiyan, Mr. Kumar said that VHP will create mass awareness through skits, meetings, public gatherings and all possible means of communication.

“Even our Supreme Court is concerned about conversion by three means — by luring, by fear and by fraud. Strict laws should be made for conversion and VHP is set to launch a 10-day nationwide campaign to create awareness on ‘Love Jihad’ and ‘conversion’,” he added.

Speaking about the ‘conversion’ of Hindus in the country, VHP claimed that since 1966, over 62 lakh people have been converted from Hindusim to other religions. “We managed to do the ghar wapasi of nine lakh converted Hindus so far,” he added.