NEW DELHI: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Monday said Mother Teresa’s main objective behind her social service was converting people to Christianity.
Speaking at a function organised by an NGO in Bharatpur, in Rajasthan, Bhagwat said: “Mother Teresa’s service would have been good. But it used to have one objective, to convert the person, who was being served, into a Christian.”
“The question is not about conversion but if this (conversion) is done in the name of service, then that service gets devalued.” “But here (at the NGO), the objective is purely service of poor and helpless people,” the RSS chief further said this is how seva is done in India.
However, RSS’s official twitter handle - @RSSorg - quoting Dr Manmohan Vaidya said: “Media reporting wrongly”.
With NDA Government trying to reach out to the christians in the country, the RSS chief comments may not only kick up fresh controversy, but also re-ignite debate on conversion.
During the over 22 minutes’ audio address uploaded by RSS affiliated mass communication wing Vishwa Samvad Kendra (VSK) on its website, Bhagwat dwelled on the issue of service citing examples from the history and mythology. He said seva (service) is done without any motive or reward.
The VSK also uploaded the English transcript of the speech. He said children should be shown places and things which ignite nationalism and pride in them.