A proud Hindu in power in Delhi after 800 years: Singhal

The reins of power in Delhi have come into the hands of a "swabhimani (proud)" Hindu after 800 years, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Ashok Singhal said here Friday at an international Hindu conference.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat called for ridding Hindu society of its shortcomings and make India a world leader.

Addressing an inaugural session of the three-day World Hindu Congress, Singhal referred to Narendra Modi leading the Bharatiya Janata Party to victory in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and said power had returned to a "Hindu swabhimani (proud Hindu)" in Delhi after eight centuries.

Singhal said the VHP was founded in 1964 with the objective of creating "a fearless Hindu, an invincible Hindu".

"Eight hundred years after it (the power at Delhi) went away form Prithviraj Chauhan, it did not come into the hands of a proud Hindu. It has happened after 800 years," Singhal said.

Addressing the gathering, C.V. Wigneswaran, chief minister of Sri Lanka's Northern Province, said difficulties faced by the Hindu community in the island nation did not come to an end with the Sri Lankan government's war with the LTTE coming to end in 2009.

Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama said there was a need to develop "knowledge of mind" and to remember "sameness of humanity".

Bhagwat said there would always be a need to realise "sameness of humanity" in the world and the Hindu society can deliver the message.

"A Hindu means a human being who seeks unity in all diversity," Bhagwat said.

Referring to Swami Vivekananda's words "arise, awake and not stop till the goal is reached," Bhagwat said "let us start our work in all walks of life - media, academia...leadership based on our values is required. Let us demonstrate that capability. We have to work on values of sameness of humanity".

India had a tradition and task of teaching the world, he said.

"The task given has to be done. For that we have to improve ourselves," he said.

Organisers said 1,800 delegates from 40 countries were taking part in the conference.