Pradeeptananda Saraswat, a far-right Hindu monk, has said that a religious war over the next eight years could result in the deaths of 100 crore Muslims, 50 crore Christians, and 5 crore secular Hindus.
Saraswat made these remarks during his address at “The Shaurya Jagran Sabha,” an event organized by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) aimed to ‘awaken society on Hindu Dharma and its issues’, The event concluded with a massive rally at Ramlila Maidan, Sector 10, Dwarka, on October 14.
He claimed, “At least 100 crore Muslims, 50 crore Christians, and 5 crore secular Hindus will be killed in the religious war over the next 8 years.” He claimed that this was a prophecy revealed to him by Lord Shiva, one of the main deities in Hinduism.
He urged the Hindu audience to prepare for the war by arming themselves with weapons and training in martial arts. He said that the Hindus should not be afraid of death, as they would attain salvation by fighting for their faith.
He added that Hindus should not tolerate any insult to their religion or culture, and should resist any attempts of conversion by Muslims and Christians.
The monk’s speech was met with applause and cheers by some of the attendees, who chanted slogans such as “Jai Shri Ram” (Hail Lord Ram) and “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” (Victory to Mother India).
The event was also attended by Dr Surendra Jain, All India Joint General Secretary of VHP, who addressed the crowd at the end of the Shaurya Jagran Yatra.
During the assembly, Dr Jain appealed to the people of Delhi to remember the sacrifices made by the Gurus of the Sikh community to protect religion. He talked about the history of Gurudwara Rakabganj and Sheeshganj in Delhi and urged the Central Government to declare them national monuments. He stressed the need to correct historical inaccuracies taught to children and encouraged the younger generation to remember and adopt Indian culture.
Dr Jain also condemned the attack by Hamas on Israel and urged Indians to learn from Israel’s response. He also raised ‘concerns’ about organizations like Hamas threatening India’s peace and stability. He called for Hindu society to unite against such threats.
The issue of the Waqf Board was also raised by Dr Jain, who called for the abolition of Waqf law. He noted that the government has recently reclaimed 123 government properties from the board’s possession.
The Shaurya Jagran Sabha, or the Valour Awakening Assembly, is a programme organised by the VHP as part of its countrywide campaign to “re-energise” society on Hindu Dharma and create awareness on “love jihad, conversion, and Sanatan Dharma”.
The VHP is an offshoot of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological mentor of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
According to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, India is classified as a Tier-2 country for violating religious freedom. The commission has accused Hindu nationalist groups of conducting a campaign to “saffronise” India through violence, intimidation, and harassment against non-Hindus. It has also reported that many state governments have enforced anti-conversion and anti-cow slaughter laws against non-Hindus.
