Hindustan Times (Delhi)

Bhagwat right about Mother Teresa: Sena

- Agencies letters@hindustant­imes.com

MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena on Wednesday threw its weight behind Rashtriya Swayamseva­k Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat for his remarks on Nobel laureate Mother Teresa, terming his actions as a “national service”.

“What is wrong? Whatever he has said is the grim truth as ‘conversion­s’ are the main business of Christian missionari­es in India and around the world since centuries,” the RSS said in an editorial in its party mouthpiece Saamana.

“Missionari­es converted people to Christiani­ty in the name of service and money,” the Shiv Sena said, adding that even Muslims carried out conversion­s with the threat of the sword and became notorious, unlike the Christian missionari­es. “Nobody can stop voluntary conversion­s, but if they are carried out in the garb of service, it is misuse of the word ‘service’ itself,” it added.

While acknowledg­ing its highest regard for Mother Teresa and her selfless service to humanity, the Sena said there are other big names like Baba Amte, his son Prakash Amte, Abhay Bang and Rani Bang, all of whom rendered similar services to the country without indulging in conversion­s. “In such an atmosphere, by speaking on this issue Bhagwat has done a national service... We congratula­te him. He has formalised what Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray had spoken for long,” the editorial said.

Addressing a function in Rajasthan on Monday, Bhagwat had said Mother Teresa’s service to the poor was aimed at converting them to Christiani­ty.

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Mohan Bhagwat

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