Ghar Wapsi is over? Think again. Hindu groups to resume reconversion drive

After reconverting 300 Muslims in Agra and facing BJP’s so-called ire, the party had told Rajeshwar Singh, an RSS pracharak, to lie low and put a lid on the whole controversy. But according to this report in The Hindu, the ghar wapsi team is rearing its ugly head and this time it plans to avoid the media glare with Rajeshwar Singh at the helm of things. According to The Hindu report, fringe Hindutva groups are bringing back the ghar wapsi agenda and will start the drive in mid-February in western Uttar Pradesh — districts of Gorakhpur, Shahjahanpur, Hathras, Meerut, Aligarh, Bijnore, Agra. [caption id=“attachment_2056255” align=“alignleft” width=“380” class=" “]  Representational image. PTI[/caption] Quoting sources, the report further said that Dharam Jagaran Samanvay Samiti (DJSS), a group affiliated to the RSS, has been told to send its men to interior areas of these districts and identify Christian and Muslim families. DJSS’ new strategy will not include conversions on public forums as they did during its failed attempts in December, 2014. The outfit has been strictly told to steer clear of the media to avoid any controversy. The Hindu quoted a senior DJSS leader, who on the condition of anonymity said, “The Pracharaks would convince individual families to come under the fold of Hinduism and once they agree they would be converted inside their homes as it saves us from lots of unnecessary trouble from the hostile state government. Why to court controversy when the work can be done in much more efficient way by being silent about it. We have been asked to strictly avoid taking media.” Rajeshwar Singh blamed diabetes and ill health for his departure from the RSS, but pracharak and the force behind the body’s ghar wapsi programmes in western Uttar Pradesh was sent on indefinite leave after Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly raised objections over the fact that his ‘reconversion’ stunts were derailing the government’s development agenda. Singh was reportedly sent on leave for a few months after allegedly being told to lie low until the controversy over his ghar wapsi programme in Agra got over, this _Firstpost_ article reported. The RSS has also ruled out replacing 55-year-old Singh as the man in charge of the organisation’s activities in western UP and Uttarakhand, the article further noted. However, Sangh Parivar sources said that Singh had been asked to stay out of the spotlight after the Prime Minister met with RSS leaders and “expressed his annoyance” over Singh’s campaign in which 300 Muslims had been re-converted to Hinduism in a ceremony organised in Agra. Singh’s Agra campaign, however, proved to be a problem for the Modi government with the Opposition stalling both houses of Parliament over the issue during the Winter session, preventing it from passing any legislation.