Religion
Barred from organising conversion, party threatens action
Chennai, Jan 30
Accusing the Tamil Nadu
government of preventing voluntary conversions to Hinduism, a political
outfit - Hindu Makkal Katchi (HMK) - said Friday it would seek legal
recourse.
Speaking to IANS, HMK president Arjun Sampath said: "I
have been kept under house arrest in Anna Nagar here. Large numbers of
police have been deployed outside the house where I am staying."
"Vans carrying people who are willing to become Hindus are being forcibly turned away," he charged.
The HMK had announced a programme to convert 108 people belonging to a minority community into Hinduism here Friday.
"We
first wanted to have the programme in the famed Triplicane temple.
However the temple authorities refused permission in writing. The temple
is administered by the government. When churches and mosques permit
conversion why not government managed temples," Sampath said.
"Does the government think Hindu temples as revenue generating organisations and nothing more," he added.
With
the permission denied by the Triplicane temple, HMK decided to have the
conversion programme at a private temple in West Mambalam here.
"Though
police have turned away some vehicles carrying people wanting to become
Hindus, already there are 30 people at the conversion venue and efforts
are on to proceed ahead with the programme," Sampath said.