The Vishwa Hindu Parishad has released a statement demanding that like France, India needs to set up a commission of inquiry to investigate the misdeeds of the Church. On October 6, the VHP in a statement stated, “There is an urgent need to set up a commission like the Niyogi Commission to expose the misdeeds of Church priests and missionaries engaged in horizontal conversions in India.”
VHP chief Dr Surendra Jain stated that like France, Bharatiyas also need to learn about the unacceptable sins and activities of the clergy. He added that strict laws are needed to liberate Bharat from the curse of illegal conversions being carried out by force, fraud and allurement by the Church.”
Press Statement:
— Vishva Hindu Parishad -VHP (@VHPDigital) October 6, 2021
Like France, Commission of Inquiry be set up to enquire into the misdeeds of the Church in Bharat: @drskj01 (Dr. Surendra Jain) pic.twitter.com/T7NJDSjxcX
The statement further read, “In France alone, over 330,000 children have been the victims of sexual abuse in the hands of the Christian clergy. Research carried out over a period of 2 and half years has released the report and exposed the truth that was denied for years by the Church. Today, the Churches all over the world are entangled in allegations of sexual abuse and sexual scandals. When the crimes are exposed, the Church and the clergy have to apologise. That is the reason Christians in many nations are turning away from religion.”
Dr Surendra Jain further stated that the Church’s past and present in India are full of disgraceful incidents, from the Goa inquisition, murders of Hindu Sadhus (Odisha and Palghar) and many such blood-splattered pages. In India, the Church has only converted people by force, fraud and allurement. Multiple incidents of sexual harassment of nuns, and other victims have also come to the fore.
The statement further highlighted the many incidents of human trafficking and selling of orphaned children by the Church-run orphanages. It added that several state governments have also asserted the Church’s links with Naxalites and the terrorist organisations of the North-East. “It is the misfortune of Bharat that whenever such crimes of the Church come to the fore, the Church glorifies the guilty instead of apologizing,” the statement added.
“The VHP demands that a nationwide inquiry commission like the Niyogi commission should be set up to enquire into the conspiracies of the Church in Bharat and the culprits should be given exemplary punishment. The central government should bring a law banning horizontal conversions by those who see themselves to be outside the cultural commonwealth and fraternity of Bharat.”
In conclusion, the VHP statement added, “Church functionaries should come forward and voluntarily confess their sins, stop illegal conversions and other illegal activities, otherwise VHP will launch a massive movement to expose their conspiracies and stop illegal conversions.”
The Niyogi Committee report is a comprehensive report on the activities of Christian missionaries in India, published in 1956 by the government of Madhya Pradesh.
