PMK slams pro-Hindu outfits on re-conversion issue

Chennai: Slamming pro-Hindu outfits on the re-conversion issue, NDA constituent PMK on Monday said that people had given BJP a handsome mandate to work towards the country's economic development and "not to make India a Hindu nation".

Party founder S Ramadoss also asked Centre to focus its resources in addressing issues affecting common people rather than 'furthering their own agenda.'

He pointed out at "Ghar Vapsi" (reconversion) programmes held by Sangh Parivar outfits besides RSS' call for law to ban forcible conversions, supported by BJP. He also slammed Centre's decision to observe December 25 as Good Governance Day as officials have to report for duty that day.

Such actions seemed to be the prepartory steps to make India a 'Hindu Nation,' and these activities were inimical to the country's secularism and pluralistic nature, he said.

He said India had paid a 'heavy price' following the demolition of Babri mosque and expressed concern over "the rulers (at Centre) remaining spectators" to Sangh Parivar's activities.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and "groups influencing him" should realise that people had handed him a strong mandate for putting the country on the development mode after it had 'slid' during the previous Congress-led UPA regime.

"They had installed the BJP government for doing away with the issues faced by the poor; not to create a Hindu rule. The country is still grappling with economic problems faced in the previous regime. It is not fair to ignore these and further their own agenda," he said in a statement here.

He expressed fears that a law against forcible conversions could be 'misused' against minorities and called for dropping any such proposals.

He insisted that the existing IPC provisions could be used for preventing such kind of conversions and urged the Modi government to do away with 'Hindutva' proposals like "preventing Christmas celebrations" and strive towards taking the country on the growth path.