Singhal, the international executive president of the VHP, said here today that considering the present state of the country, the award to Sen was clearly ``politically motivated, like the peace prize to Mother Teresa earlier.''

He said Mother Teresa did not do anything for peace, ``and we all know what she really did.''

``These Nobel Prizes were only intended to give sanction to Christianity to spread its base in the country,'' said Singhal. He was speaking at a meeting at Keshav Vidyapeeth where the VHP is holding a nine-day programme consisting of a series of conclaves.

Referring to Sen's assertion that literacy was essential for a country's development and prosperity, Singhal said this was only intended to enable Christian missionaries to spread their network of educationalinstitutions and take over the country's development.

The VHP leader went on to warn about the ``increasing domination of top leadership of the country by Christians'' and the ``tightening grip of vidharmis (non-Hindus) on leadership, the like of which had never taken place earlier.''

The entry of multinational companies and their investment in the country in a big way was cause for serious concern, said Singhal, adding that an atmosphere was now being created for ``Christianising'' the nation.

In repeated references to ``Nagabhoomi'' (Nagaland) and Mizoram, he said while Hindus could live with Christians and Muslims, followers of these faiths would not allow any other religion to survive. ``Hindus are targeted in these states,'' he said.

``But nobody wants to become a Christian. Wherever our workers approached (them) with our programmes and campaigns, people have returned to our fold in thousands and churches have been replaced by temples,'' Singhal said, referring to the VHP's re-conversioncampaigns in Banswara, Rajasthan and other states.

Detailing the need to set up a network of dedicated workers, he urged Hindus to contribute to the cause of helping their society rejuvenate itself. ``Not one person would remain a Christian if Hindu society regained its true nature,'' he said. Accusing Christian missionaries of carrying out conversion through force and allurements, Singhal alleged that the Naxalite outfits active in the country were ``protective shields of Christianity''.

``Christianity is being spread in the country at gun-point,'' he alleged. A similar charge was earlier levelled by Pravinbhai Togadia, VHP's joint general secretary in-charge of Gujarat, famous for reports of attacks against Christians. Togadia said that the missionaries had the backing of PWG.

Denying the attack on Christians on Christmas day, Togadia said the VHP believed only in democratic protests. He said it was a mob of armed Christians which attacked a sant sammelan at Dang and accused Christianmissionaries of spreading false rumours against Hindu organisations. He held Congress president Sonia Gandhi responsible for the increase in Christian activities.