Meerut, December 13, 2014: In the midst of a raging row over conversions in Agra, the radical Hindu outfits, including Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrangdal, are set to 'reconvert' Christians in three Meerut villages— CheenaNagar village, Maliana village and Shivpuram—as they claim that the Christian population in these areas has increased at an alarming number.

"The people in these villages, who used to worship Hindu gods have started going to churches for Sundayprayers. These people converted to Christianity because they were offered jobs and other advantages. So, we are set to reconvert them," claimed Sudarshan Chakra, department organizational secretary of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP).

The outfits are yet to finalize a day to conduct the 'reconversion' ceremony under what they call it as the 'Ghar Wapsi' (returning home) programme. However, Chakra informed TOI that the VHP members have already reached the villages to apprise the residents about their 'reconversion.'

Chakra further claimed that Dharm Prasar—an offshoot of VHP—would also be involved in the re-conversion programme.

When Balraj Dungar, the state convenor of Bajrang Dal, was asked about the 'ghar vapsi' event, he said, "Puri duniya ke andar Hindu tha, Hindu hai aur Hindu rahega. Islam kabhi nahi tha. (In the entire world, there were, there are and there will be Hindus. Islam never existed.) The government might put pressure on us to stall the initiative. We might even be jailed for the same. We are ready to go to jail but 'Ghar Wapsi' is a continuous affair in the state and will go on uninterrupted."

The conversion row triggered controversy in Uttar Pradesh soon after 57 Bengali Muslim families were "reconverted" in a similar 'Ghar Wapsi' event at Agra. The event also made its way to neighboring Aligarh on Thursday, when Dharam Jagran Samiti allegedly distributed letters in the city to seek donations for their cause of conversion ceremony.

"It is not conversion. It is reconversion. Flip through the pages of history and you will realize that during the time of Akbar, many Hindus were converted to Islam just to save their lives," insisted Dungar.

Referring to the incident in Agra, he said, "How can the media say that the people who got reconverted in the ceremony at Agra were forced to do so? They can see it on TV that they willingly became a part of the 'havan' and applied vermillion on their foreheads."

Though BJP had distanced itself from the reconversion row so far, Vineet Agarwal Sharda, state president of BJP's wing of traders' association broke silence on Friday.

"When Muslim boys tie kalava on their wrists, apply vermillion on their forehead and influence Hindu girls to marry them and convert to their religion; why cannot we host a 'reconversion' event?" asked Sharda.

- times of india