According to The Christian Post, an evangelical event scheduled for Thursday to be led by Franklin Graham in Hyderabad, India will be protested by Hindu groups, saying the event violates the terms of Graham’s visa. Local government officials have agreed to investigate the terms of Graham’s visa, as preaching and evangelism are not permitted on a visitor’s visa in India. But the Hindu group Vishwa Hindu Parishad and others have committed to stage a protest to “force Franklin to go back to his country” if the government does nothing to stop the festival from occurring.
Reported estimates of attendance to the event have topped 40,000 people and volunteers from hundreds of churches will help run the festival. More than half of the residents of Hyderabad are Hindu, along with 80 percent of India’s general population. Franklin Graham, son of well-known evangelist Billy Graham and a 30-year veteran of evangelical events, has been known to publicly denounce other religions.
