NAGPUR: A senior Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader claimed here on Saturday that the right-wing organisation "reconverted" 25,000 Muslims and Christians to Hinduism in 2018.

VHP secretary general Milind Parande said drives for reconversion, which the Hindutva outfit calls "ghar-wapsi" or coming back to the "parent faith", were being held regularly across the country.

"25,000 Muslims and Christians were reconverted in 2018," he said, adding that figures for 2019 were yet to be compiled.

Addressing a press conference here, Parande said conversion was a "national problem", "an attack on the country" and a "conspiracy to divide its people".

He said, "The VHP wants a bill which will make it difficult to convert people to other religions."

Asked about the Ram Temple issue, Parande said the VHP was expecting a "positive verdict" from the Supreme Court as all the "archaeological facts" supported the case for existence of Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

Parande also said an amendment was needed to the Citizenship Bill to "secure Hindus in the country".

