VHP holds ‘ghar wapsi’ for 500 tribal Christians

SURAT: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad claims to have brought 500 people from 100 Christian families back into the Hindu fold in a ' ghar wapsi' programme organized in the tribal Arnai village in Valsad on Saturday. The organizers said that they did not take any permission and did not violate any law.

The VHP had earlier organized a similar event in November at Barumal village in Valsad.

"A yagna was performed and participants were given pendants with an image of Lord Ram. They discarded the pendants of another faith. We did not lure any participant," said Valsad VHP secretary Ajit Solanki.

The participants were given a picture of Lord Ram and a Rudraksh necklace. They were sprinkled with Ganga water and took a bath at a spring. District collector Vikrant Pandey said that he has asked officials to inquire into the event and submit a report. "As per the law it is mandatory that a detailed procedure be followed for religious conversion. But to consider this event as conversion or not is yet to get clear," he said.

"There is no information about tension and details are being collected," said Superintendent of Police at Valsad Nipurna Toravane.