BJP's Tejasvi Surya 'unconditionally withdraws' remarks on reconverting 'those who left Hindu fold': What the row is all about

BJP MP Tejasvi Surya it seems is controversy’s child.

The Bangalore South BJP MP has "unconditionally withdrawn" remarks he made at an event in Udipi in which he urged for the reconversion of "all those who've gone out of the Hindu fold".

In a Twitter apology, he wrote, "At a program held in Udupi Sri Krishna Mutt two days ago, I spoke on the subject of ‘Hindu Revival in Bharat’. Certain statements from my speech has regrettably created an avoidable controversy. I therefore unconditionally withdraw the statements."

At a program held in Udupi Sri Krishna Mutt two days ago, I spoke on the subject of ‘Hindu Revival in Bharat’.

Certain statements from my speech has regrettably created an avoidable controversy. I therefore unconditionally withdraw the statements.

— Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) December 27, 2021

So, what did the young BJP leader say to spark a row and this isn't the first time he has caused a controversy.

Surya’s comments

On Saturday, the Karnataka MP was speaking on ‘Hindu Revival in Bharat’ at the Sri Krishna Mutt in Karnataka’s Udipi.

In a one hour 20 minute-long video in which he speaks primarily in Kannada, Surya gives out calls for preventing religious conversion.

"The Hindu has been taken out from his mother religion. There is only one possible solution...there is only one solution to address this anomaly," Tejasvi Surya had said at the Sri Krishna Mutt as per the video recordings, which went viral on Twitter.

"Those people who have left their mother religion and have for various socio-political, economic reasons over the course of India's history, those who have gone out of the Hindu fold, must be brought back in whole, brought back into the Hindu faith, brought back to the mother faith," asserted the 31-year-old MP.

#WATCH Only option left for Hindus is to reconvert all those people who've gone out of the Hindu fold...those who've left their mother religion must be brought back.. My request is that every temple,mutt should've yearly targets for this:BJP MP Tejasvi Surya at an event on 25 Dec pic.twitter.com/8drw0lfKAh

— ANI (@ANI) December 27, 2021

Surya also says that religious houses should have “yearly targets” for the number of people they have to return to the Hindu fold. Such an effort must be taken up on war footing, he said.

The News Minute has quoted from the Kannada part of his speech to note that Surya went on to say that the “re-conversion to Hinduism” must happen on Tipu Jayanti, and that ‘this ghar wapsi’ is the “responsibility of Hindus.”

He also criticises various aspects of Muslim and Christian faith during his speech.

According to a report in The Quint, he is quoted as saying, "“We have built Ram Mandir in this country. Article 370 of Jammu and Kashmir is done away with. We should convert the Muslims of Pakistan to Hinduism. We have to prioritise ghar wapsi. Pakistan is included in the idea of Akhanda Bharath."

Not surprisingly, Surya’s statements met outrage on social media.

Incidentally, his comments come just days after netizens outraged over the hateful comments made by seers and leaders at Haridwar’s ‘Dharma Sansad'. After the scandal over the videos of the conclave, the Uttarakhand police filed a case but named only one person along with "others".

Previous controversies

Tejasvi Surya, who is also the national head of the BJP’s youth wing, the Yuva Morcha, is known for his outrageous comments.

In April 2020, he landed in a row for a tweet he had posted in 2015 with an “objectionable” comment about Arab women.

Dubai-based businesswoman Noora AlGhurair, reacted to the now-deleted post, saying she “pitied his upbringing that has taught him to disrespect women”. She also warned him against “travelling to Arab lands if he is ever bestowed a foreign ministry”.

Surya has also described the critics of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) as “puncture wallahs and illiterates”.

In 2020, he took a swipe at the Shaheen Bagh protest against the CAA by saying the Mughal raj would return if the “majority community” was not “vigilant”.

He had also posted that he “dreads” the day when women reservation will become a reality. Surya deleted the tweet within 24 hours of being named as the BJP candidate in 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

“With the exception of Womens’ Reservation in Parliament, Modi govt agenda is inspiring. Dread d day when women’s reservation becomes reality,” he had said in the now-deleted tweet.

With inputs from agencies

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