Vishwa Hindu Parishad meet focuses on Dalit rights

BENGALURU: Facing questions on re-conversion, the Sangh Parivar seems to be taking a cue from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's stress on `inclusive' ideology. All speakers at Sunday's Virat Hindu Samajotsava in Bengaluru, organised to conclude the 50th year celebrations of the VHP formation, focused on wooing Dalits. They also spoke of untouchability as the biggest block in `Hindu Shakti's' moves to oppose conversion.

With VHP's international working president Praveen Togadia -who was banned from entering Bengaluru by the police absent, RSS general secretary Suresh Joshi was the main speaker. Calling India `Hindustan', Joshi said the country was seeing change and everyone have to be an active part of it."Caste divisions are weaknesses, they should be removed. We all should take a vow that there should be no untouchability," he said. Meanwhile, despite Bengaluru police banning Togadia's participation, the organisers screened his virtual speech after the event officially concluded.Bengaluru police commissioner MN Reddi told ET: "They have gone against the orders we have issued. We will take legal action against the organisers."