Barred from organising conversion, Party threatens action

Chennai, Jan 30 (IANS) Accusing the Tamil Nadu government of preventing voluntary conversions to Hinduism, a political outfit - Hindu Makkal Katchi (HMK) - said Friday it would seek legal recourse.

Speaking to IANS, HMK president Arjun Sampath said: "I have been kept under house arrest in Anna Nagar here. Large numbers of police have been deployed outside the house where I am staying."

"Vans carrying people who are willing to become Hindus are being forcibly turned away," he charged.

The HMK had announced a programme to convert 108 people belonging to a minority community into Hinduism here Friday.

"We first wanted to have the programme in the famed Triplicane temple. However the temple authorities refused permission in writing. The temple is administered by the government. When churches and mosques permit conversion why not government managed temples," Sampath said.

"Does the government think Hindu temples as revenue generating organisations and nothing more," he added.

With the permission denied by the Triplicane temple, HMK decided to have the conversion programme at a private temple in West Mambalam here.

"Though police have turned away some vehicles carrying people wanting to become Hindus, already there are 30 people at the conversion venue and efforts are on to proceed ahead with the programme," Sampath said.