HYDERABAD: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad has threatened to launch a protest against the 'Children's Festival' celebrations, an event being organised by the Christian community in which Protestant evangelist and missionary Franklin Graham will be addressing a gathering.
The VHP alleges that Franklin is entering the country on a visiting visa and participating in religious activities in violation of visa norms. Franklin Graham is the son of famous US evangelist and missionary Billy Graham who had visited Rajahmundry in 1971.Addressing a press conference here on Monday, VHP state joint secretary T Yaman Singh alleged that on the pretext of Children's Festival celebrations to be held at LB Stadium for four days from November 10 , the organisers would proselytise poor Hindus by distributing food, clothes, medicines and other gifts.
"Protestant Christian evangelist Franklin Graham is gong to address the gathering at the celebration at the stadium and convert Hindus to Christianity. Franklin is coming to India on a visiting visa but will be participating in religious activities, which means he will be violating the visa norms. If the government does not respond to the violation of visa norms, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, along with Bajrang Dal and other Hindu organisations, will stage a protest at the stadium and force Franklin to go back to his country," Yaman Singh warned. Nomula Vinod Kumar, city convener of Bajrang Dal, appealed to all nationalists to condemn and resist conversions. He also requested the state and central governments to take immediate action against Christian missionaries engaged in converting people of other faiths to Christianity.Thousands of volunteers from the 1,800odd churches in the twin cities are making arrangements at the LB Stadium for the festival, and sending out invitations and distributing pamphlets. A series of musical events, "Hyderabad Festival With Franklin Graham' will be held during Franklin's first visit to the city and second to India.
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