Indian right-wingers accuse Mother Teresa of forced conversions

India’s Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat has alleged that Mother Teresa’s service to the destitute was aimed at converting them to Christianity and her “selfish aim had devalued the virtues of a noble cause”.

“It’s good to work for a cause with selfless intentions. However, Mother Teresa’s work had ulterior motive, which was to convert the person who was being served to Christianity. In the name of service, religious conversions were made. This was followed by other institutes too,” said Bhagwat while overseeing the functioning of an NGO, Apna Ghar. On the occasion, he also inaugurated “Mahila Sadan” and “Sishu Bal Grah” for helpless women and children.

At the function, former Border Security Force DGP Prakash Singh also criticised Mother Teresa. “There are many other organizations that have done far more good work than her. However, Christians, with the help of media, were able to publicise their work,” said Singh, also claiming that during his posting in the Northeast, he had witnessed forced tribal conversion by Roman Catholics.

Mother Teresa’s organization, Missionaries of Charity works for the homeless and ailing across the country. The comments follow a series of attacks on Christian places of worship in Delhi and elsewhere.

Earlier this month, priests, nuns and parishioners had clashed with the police in Delhi as they staged a protest against the attacks in Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.