Ashok Singhal
ALLAHABAD: International patron of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) Ashok Singhal has accused Canadian faith healer and preacher Peter Youngren of trying to wipe out the ancient holistic culture of the country under the banner of “Changai Sabha” farce.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, he said that the NDA government headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee had banned Youngren from entering India to conduct such farcical events. “However, this time he was granted permission by Sonia Gandhi’s regime and was being taken around the country to hold programmes aimed at encouraging conversions into Christianity,” he said. The most important point was that Youngren arrived in the country on a conference visa under which he could only participate in programmes of government institutions and that too after prior permission of Union ministry of external affairs and Union ministry of home affairs.
Singhal added that contrary to this, Youngren’s programmes were being organised independently and illegally. The laws of the land do not allow him to convert people through the farcical “Changai Sabhas”. The practice of issuing missionary visa was banned in India in 1969 but this was being openly flouted under the UPA regime.
He said that in Prayag (Allahabad) pressure and protests were mounted by democratic processes through courts of law and administrative machinery against the illegal activity of Youngren. “However, cruelty unleashed by government on peaceful protesters reminded of the oppressive strategy of British Raj,” he said and alleged that the holistic and altruistic Rishi-Krishi culture (Kulachaar) cultivated and developed for thousands of years in the country was now under attack through Changai programmes from the forces of conversion under government patronage.
He further claimed that afraid of Narendra Modi’s rising popularity among masses, especially the young people, efforts were being made to misguide and misdirect the society. Stating that people were more aware nowadays, Singhal said that they were able to see through the game plans and evil activities of outlandish forces.