‘Why fight Benny Hinn?’

The city is not on his itinerary this year, but a controversial American evangelist’s prime supporter is from Mumbai and standing by hi...

The city is not on his itinerary this year, but a controversial American evangelist’s prime supporter is from Mumbai and standing by him. Florida pastor Benny Hinn’s proposed three-day (January 21-23) ‘‘Prayer for India’’ visit to Bangalore — where 10 million are expected to congregate at an airfield — has created a furore there.

While the Sangh Parivar has threatened to sabotage the priest’s prayer meet, noted Kannada writer and Jnanpith Award winner U.R. Ananthamurthy has asked Karnataka Chief Minister Dharam Singh to dissociate himself from such ‘‘mass hysteria’’.

‘‘During his visit to Mumbai last year, Benny Hinn didn’t utter a word about conversion,’’ seafood exporter Gul Kriplani (60) told Express from Bangalore, where he is arranging the preacher’s programme.

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Kripalani is chairman of the Festival of Blessings, the organisation that has invited Hinn to India. ‘‘He is coming to pray for India, and for all its communities,’’ said Kripalani.

Kriplani is well known in Mumbai’s party circuit, where Hinn’s gospel has become increasingly popular. When asked how Hinn’s followers are countering the Parivar’s protest, Kripalani said: ‘‘God will counter their protest.’’

The RJD’s key face and Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Tejashwi Yadav, party supremo Lalu Yadav’s son, will again contest from his stronghold Raghopur.

Amid Mahagathbandhan crisis, RJD unveils list of 143, drops 36 MLAs, focuses on ‘M-Y’

Political Pulse6 hr ago

The RJD, lead player of the Mahagathbandhan, released its full list of 143 candidates for the November Bihar Assembly elections. Its key face Tejashwi Yadav will contest from Raghopur, and 41 sitting MLAs have been renominated. The party has dropped 36 sitting MLAs and fielded young leaders, signaling a bid to consolidate its core Muslim-Yadav vote base. The Congress has fielded 60 candidates.

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