Heavy security in Delhi for Pope

New Delhi, Nov 5: Pope John Paul II, spiritual head of Catholics worldwide, arrives here this evening on a visit to India, amidst controv...

New Delhi, Nov 5: Pope John Paul II, spiritual head of Catholics worldwide, arrives here this evening on a visit to India, amidst controversy and protests by some Sangh Parivar outfits raised against alleged forcible conversion by churches and inquisition in Goa during the Portuguese rule.

Police have beefed up security and deployed heavily armed personnel at venues to be visited by the head of the Vatican across the city during the two-day state visit. Earlier they made preventive arrests of a number of Shiv Sena activists.

During the visit, eagerly awaited by the country8217;s 16 million Catholics, the holy father8217; is scheduled to formally conclude the Asian synod of bishops eclesia in Asia8217; called to discuss the challenges before the community in the new millennium, and release the post-Synodal exhortation.

The 79-year old Polish-born Pontiff, who leads a high-power delegation, will hold wide-ranging discussions with President K R Narayanan focussing mainly on further consolidation of bilateral ties between the Vatican and India.

Vice President Krishan Kant and Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee will call on the Pontiff during the visit, the millennium8217;s last and his second to India since 1986.

He would also address a holy mass at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium and a multi-religious meet, which would be telecast live on all Doordarshan channels.

The Government8217;s advice to the Vice President against attending the multi-religious meet to be addressed by the Pope, citing past precedents, also created a stir in the run up to the visit.

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Meanwhile, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad VHP today put a new demand before the Pope asking him to withdraw all foreign missionaries from India besides tendering an apology for alleged atrocities by the church during Portuguese rule in Goa and other parts of the country.

Alleging that foreign missionaries funded by international church groups were backing terrorist activities in the North-East and indulging in conversions through inducements, VHP general secretary Acharya Giriraj Kishore said, 8220;the Pope should withdraw all foreign missionaries from our soil. Indian Christian missionaries are competent to do their job.quot;

Addressing reporters on the day of the Pontiff8217;s arrival here, the VHP leader alleged, 8220;extremist groups in the North-East are being financially supported and encouraged by the church.quot;

The Acharya quoted a statement by the then Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Mohd Maqbool Dar in the Lok Sabha in December, 1996 to substantiate his charge.

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The VHP leader accused the church of 8220;racial discrimination8221; for stating that the inquisitions in Europe were different from those in India and reiterated the demand for a Papal apology on the issue.

He, however, welcomed a reported statement by the church that it was willing to discuss the issue of conversion with VHP. 8220;We are ready for a dialogue wherever they want it.8221;

He also reiterated that VHP has no plan to stage any protests or demonstrations during the Papal visit.