BJP leader Subramanian Swamy. (Express file photo/Gajendra Yadav) BJP leader Subramanian Swamy. (Express file photo/Gajendra Yadav)

In order to check the flow of overseas funds “meant for religious conversions in India” and to ensure that the “Hindu majority” remains intact, Subramanian Swamy, national executive member of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rajya Sabha MP, on Friday said he will table a private members bill in the Parliament to enable the government draft a pan-India freedom of religion bill that will make permission from district collectors mandatory for religious conversions.

“We are seeing that a lot of money is coming from foreign countries for religious conversions. In many regions, including Tamil Nadu and the South Indian states, they are very active,” said Swamy while interacting with mediapersons at Indus University. He said money was also coming into India to help people convert to Islam. “In order to preserve the country’s heritage and culture, it is important to see that India remains a Hindu majority country,” he said.

“I request the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) to bring in a national freedom of religion bill wherein the district administration conducts an investigation into applications (for conversions) before clearing it,” he said adding that persons found to be lured into conversions in return of money should not be allowed to convert.

He said this pan-India freedom of religion bill is already in place in several states, including Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Himachal Pradesh. “I am thinking that in the next Parliament session, after the Budget is presented, I will bring in a private members bill to request our government to pass an Act in this regard,” the MP added.

While addressing the students and faculty members at the Indus University on the outskirts of the Ahmedabad, Swamy said, despite having battled Islamic forces for the past 600 years and Christians for 200 years, Hindus form 82 per cent of the population. Narrating how the 100 per cent of population of Persia ruled by Zoroastrians were converted to Islam, Swamy said populations of Babylon and Mesopotamia which lie in modern day Iraq and Egypt were converted to Islam in 17 years and 21 years respectively. “The Christians converted 100 per cent of Europe in 50 years. But in this country, war was waged for 600 years with Islam and 200 years with Christians who were the British and yet we are 82 per cent Hindu. What does that mean?” he said.

“We have to recognise that we are under threat. The whole world wants us to believe that we are not the ancient Hindu civilisation and that we are a new country. We are a not a new country. We are a new Republic. Our national identity is the same and we are culturally one people…,” Swamy said.

Stressing on the “Hindu character” of India, Swamy said a study in the United States stated that it was a nation of “white, Anglo Saxon, Protestants, English-speaking people” despite Chinese, Mexicans, Indians and other races living there. Similarly, he said that when British Prime Minister was asked about the identity of Britain, he said it was “a white Christian country.” “Today when we discuss our country’s identity, we must know what our correct history is… UNESCO listed 46 civilisations the world has seen and concluded that 45 have disappeared…Only one civilisation has remained from time immemorial and that is the Hindu civilisation of India,” Swamy said. He also said the government sooner or later will have to bring back Sanskrit as the “link language of India.”

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