No to NOTA. Before voting think about the interests of Hindu society: VHP leader Milind Parande.

Think about the interests of Hindu society: Parande.

False promises for Hindus are considered as the virtue of Indian politics. BJP is no exception and VHP is a toolkit. 

Upendra Bharti  | HENB | VHP | May 7, 2025:: Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP)’s Organising General Secretary (OGS) Milind Parande expressed his views on the current Loksabha election 2024 in an interview with Mrityunjay Bose, reporter of Deccan Herald (DH). Parande  was in Mumbai for a brief visit.

Though BJP has distanced from many Hindutva issues like  cow slaughter ban, putting an end to religious conversion, freeing temples from government control; VHP has taken these issue in their campaign trail in a way for expanding its work to combat social evils are part of the VHP’s agenda as India moves ahead in Amrit Kaal.

Founded on 29 August 1964, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) is now a 60-year-old organisation spearheading several projects across India.

“We are not telling anyone whom to vote for, which party to vote for. What we are telling people is to keep in mind the interests of Hindu society and vote. The interests of the Hindu society are in the national interest. And Hindu society is not detrimental to others’ interest,” Parande said in a freewheeling interview with DH’s Mrityunjay Bose.

‘The pran-pratishtha of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya on 22 January, 2024 is one of the major landmarks in the history of the VHP’, Paranded added.

Excerpts of the interview is republished here.

The VHP is a 60-year-old organisation. What is the road ahead?

We plan to expand to one-lakh places to mark 60 years of its formation. We are already in 80,000-plus places. We would, in the next three to four months, complete one-lakh places. We do not have traditional membership. Hindu sympathisers are our members. As of now we have around 72 lakh and this would cross one-crore soon. More and more people are interested in formally joining us. The pranpratishtha of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya is an important landmark and the confidence of people has increased. The dreams of hundreds of years have come true. The focus of our work is health, education, employment, environment and women empowerment. We have over 5,000 service projects. It has been working tirelessly to promote and defend Hindu interests.

The year 2024 also marks the 18th Lok Sabha elections that is currently underway.

We are not telling anyone whom to vote for, which party to vote for. What we are telling people is to keep in mind the interests of Hindu society and vote. The interests of the Hindu society are in the national interest. And Hindu society is not detrimental to others’ interest. For the interest in the Hindu society, we want a party which is working in the interest of Hindus to come to power. I am repeating, the interest of Hindus is utmost and this is not detrimental in any way to others. We must remember that the Lok Sabha elections, which are currently underway, will shape the future of India for several decades to come.

What are you telling people?

We are telling people to vote. The voting should be 100 per cent. We are also telling people not to use NOTA as it is a vote wasted. We are telling the young people to get registered and become first-time voters and become part of the process.

One of the key issues that VHP has been highlighting is the government control of temples. How are you going about it?

None of the mosques or churches are under control of the government. Why should Hindu temples remain under control of the governments. We have set up a think tank comprising advocates, former judges, intellectuals, spiritual leaders and others to to spearhead this cause. We are looking at how to go about it. Hindu money has to be used to Hindu cause. Donations made to temples should be used for Hindu causes.

What are some key areas where the government and people need to work?

The government needs to work on the cow slaughter ban and religious conversion ban. Yes, cow slaughter is a complex issue. However, we have to tackle it. As far as religious conversion ban. Yes, cow slaughter is a complex issue. However, we have to tackle it. As far as religious conversion is concerned, legislation and enactments are in place in some states like Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka. You have to link this with the interests of India.

How would you describe the last 10 years of the Narendra Modi-spearheaded BJP-led NDA government?

A lot of things that we wanted have taken place. We have the Ram Mandir and the pran-pratishtha of Ram Lalla has been performed by the Prime Minister. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 has been passed. Work is on towards establishing the Uniform Civil Code. CAA and UCC are going to be big and go a long way.

There are a lot of misconceptions about the CAA?

Yes, people with vested interests are spreading it. We need to tell people how several people are going to be benefited. The CAA expedites the citizenship process for non-Muslim migrants – including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians – who migrated from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan and arrived in India before 31 December, 2014. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said she would now allow it in her state. But, it is a central law and deals with citizenship, which is not in the purview of the state.

VHP is BJP’s toolkit

In this poll scenario of India in a summer hot wave, the political heat also stretched across the country affecting all concerned.  The above interview of VHP OGS Milind Parande is reflecting the same otherwise. VHP jumped into the poll scenario in order to neutralise the Hindu resentments to BJP and PM Modi as both did not keep its words to Ban Cow slaughter, Conversion or Infiltration or other issues for which Hindus were assured in earlier election promises. Sensing a measurable Hindu resentment Parande advocated, ‘No for NOTA’, hinting ‘Vote for BJP’.

When PM Modi, BJP, RSS and VHP in Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Khestra Trust tried to take all the credits for building Ayodhya Ram Temple, it was the direction of Supreme Court for which the Consecration of Ram Temple was possible in January 22 in this year. Thousand of sacrifice of lives, struggle in the court of laws and mass movements unrelated to Sangha Parivar were made instrumental for the materialisation of Ram Temple in Ayodhya. And the memorable part of Ayodhya movement led by Mahant Ramchandra Paramhans, Mahant Avaidyanath, Ashok Singhal and others in VHP never fall in the line of present RSS-BJP-VHP leadership. The present day legacy of RSS-BJP-VHP only oppose Ram Setu for being National Monument, denying to Declare Gomata as Rashtra Mata and inviting all Hindu-drohis (enemies of Hindus) in BJP for its political interest. Calling Gorakshaks (cow vigilantes) as nighttime criminal and introducing a dozen of ‘Only for Muslims’ welfare schemes, PM Modi immensely hurt the Hindu sentiments.

Though VHP is trying to keep floating Hindu demands in the turbulent political water, the political parties including BJP are more agile to care for Muslim interests in the name of minority welfare. Ignoring Hindu interests in the election engineering and false promises for Hindus are considered as the virtue of Indian politics. BJP is no exception and VHP is a toolkit.

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__Inputs from Deccan Herald.

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