Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], June 23 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader K Annamalai, has said that no one should be allowed to destroy the country's cultural symbols, adding that there should not be any religious conversion from Hinduism.

Addressing the Muruga Bhaktargal conference organised by Hindu Munnani on Sundayin Madurai, Annamalai said that there should be no disturbance to our way of life. Our children should be able to go to school boldly, wearing thiruneer (sacred ash).

'From now on, no one should be allowed to destroy our cultural symbols. People should not convert to other religions, and those who have converted must be brought back to our religion,' the former BJP chief for Tamil Nadu said.

'Jews, who make up just 0.2 per cent of the world population, are engaged in conflicts with four countries merely because others are interfering with their way of life. That nation (Israel) has shut down schools and taken hospitals underground. Israel is standing firm, saying, 'If our way of life is disturbed, we will fight.' On April 22, in Jammu and Kashmir, 26 people were shot dead simply because they followed the Hindu religion. We launched an attack in retaliation. But for some people, even this has become a problem,' the former BJP president said.

He said that the primary purpose of this conference is to inspire every Hindu to rise and follow the way of life practised by our ancestors, while adding that Hinduism is the majority religion in only two countries.

'Through the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department, 44,000 temples in Tamil Nadu are being managed. Not only that, there are 340 temples that are over a thousand years old. But there is no proper discipline or system there. The treatment is different for those who have money and for those who don't. All of this needs to change,' he stated.

'Those who come to power by securing Hindu votes are now mocking the religion. They are playing politics based on the belief that Hindus will never unite. We must break and disprove that belief,' he said. (ANI)