NEW DELHI: Vice president Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday raised concerns about the “structured and planned” rise of religious conversions in India, describing it as a “dangerous indication” that could reshape the country’s political landscape.
Speaking at an event in Jaipur, Dhankhar stressed upon the threat posed by organised religious conversions, particularly targeting vulnerable tribal communities, and urged immediate action to counter these efforts.
“Sanatan Dharma never spreads poison,” the Vice President remarked, emphasising the need to preserve the nation’s cultural and spiritual values. He expressed concern over “sugar-coated philosophies” being used to lure individuals, especially from marginalised sections of society, into religious conversion.
“This issue affects our tribal people more. I firmly believe that we are witnessing very painfully religious conversions in a structured manner as a policy and this is antithetical to our values and constitutional premises. There is an urgent need to work at a fast pace to neutralise such sinister forces. We will have to be alert. You cannot guess the number of people who are active today to divide India,” Dhankhar said.
Dhankhar further warned that these efforts were being carried out systematically, “in an institutional and planned manner,” and posed a threat to national unity. “There is an urgent need to work at a fast pace to neutralise such sinister forces. We must remain vigilant. The number of people active today to divide India is beyond estimation,” he added.
Without naming anyone specifically, Dhankhar appeared to criticise a former minister and senior lawyer for allegedly promoting anti-India narratives. Referring to this individual, he said, “When something happens in a neighbouring country, a person who once held a constitutional position, served as a minister in the central government, and is a senior lawyer, propagates the narrative that it could happen in India too” (“Padosi desh mein kuch hota hai aur ek vyakti jo samvaidhanik padd par rha, kendra mein mantri rha, vakalat ke peshe mein varishth adhivakta hai ekk narative chalata hai ki yeh Bharat mein bhi ho sakta hai“).