Hinduism has nothing to do with religion: Digvijaya Singh

Advocating people's right to practice their relgion and propage it, Congress leader Digviajya Singh Sunday said many organisations have been engaged in sectarianism since the country's partition despite the fact that Hinduism has nothing to do with religion.

Speaking on the occasion of 130th Foundation Day of the Congress party being celebrated at the state party headquarters here, he favoured people's right to practice personal religious faith and propagate his religion.

"Equality of all religions is our constitutional heritage. Every person has the fundamental right to practice his religion and propagate about it. But the way efforts are being made to divide the country in the name of Hindutva and religion, it can only keep alive politics not the country," the Congress general secretary said.

"Following a long struggle, Congress brought freedom to the country (from the British rule). It is true that political fights followed but never any religious war occurred. Christian and Islamic religious preachers did visit India but they left too."

"India is known for its equality and respect for all religions. Congress party is against forceful religious conversions," he said.

"Hindutva was used by Savarkar (freedom fighter) who never followed the Sanatan Dharma himself. Our religion is Sanatan (eternal) and all of us have the right to practice and propagate our religion," Digvijaya Singh said.

"Double language is being used to define religious conversions. Unity and development is the need of the hour in the country in place of such hateful issues. Indian politics cannot be appreciated by Godse's temple, Ramzada and Haramzada issues," he added.