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'Conversions have increased after Sonia became Congress chief'

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad today said the recent incidents in Gujarat were part of a bigger international conspiracy to malign and destabilise the BJP-led government at the Centre and condemned any form of violence whether it was by the Christians or the Hindus.

The VHP's international secretary general Praveenbhai Togadia said at a press conference in New Delhi that the international conspiracy at the behest of foreign powers and the ''church,'' was meant to encourage separatist tendencies in the country.

He said the attacks on Christians in Gujarat, particularly in Dangs district, were only a reaction to the ''atrocities'' committed by them on local tribals and their forcible conversion by the church. He however, condemned any form of violence whether it was by the Hindus or Christians. ''There is no place for violence in Hindu culture and whatever happened in Gujarat, is only a reaction by emotional tribals to the conversion process and atrocities committed by the church on innocent Vanvasis.''

Launching a scathing attack on Congress president Sonia Gandhi Dr Togadia, a cancer specialist by profession, said the conversions had increased particularly after Gandhi became the Congress president. He criticised her for having met only Christians during her recent visit to Gujarat and said that as the Congress president, she should have met both the aggrieved parties. ''By her action she had established herself as only the leader of the Christians.''

UNI

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