All geared up for Benny Hinn

Benny Hinn arrives in city
The Asian Age

Bangalore, Jan. 20: United States-based evangelist Benny Hinn arrived in the city on Thursday evening amid protests seeking cancellation of his programme. Mr Hinn arrived by a chartered flight of an American airliner at HAL airport at 4.30 pm along with four of his attendants.
He is staying at the Leela Palace hotel on Airport road. The police has made tight security arrangements around the seven star hotel to ensure that nothing untoward happens. Mr Hinn is slated to conduct the “Festival of Blessings” for three days starting from Friday.

Speaking to The Asian Age, police commissioner S. Mariswamy said: “Adequate security arrangements have been made in and around the Leela Palace to ensure Mr Hinn’s safety. Battalions of the CAR DAR and KSRP have been deployed around the hotel.”

The United Christian Voice, a body of Catholic Christians issued a press release cautioning the organisers of the programme to ensure that Mr Hinn does not make any remarks against Catholics or the Pope. The release issued by Abraham T.J., president of the organisation warned the organisers that any such remarks would be taken seriously.

Meanwhile, atleast five persons sustained minor injuries when those protesting against Mr Hinn’s programme went berserk stoning three buses and damaging four private vehicles on Dr Rajkumar Road in Rajajinagar on Thursday evening. Speaking to The Asian Age, additional commissioner of police (law and order) Kishore Chandra said that a group of unidentified persons stoned the buses. No one has claimed responsibility for the incident so far.

The protesters fled the scene before the police arrived at the spot. Similar incidents of stone pelting were reported from Sampangiramnagar and Hennur police station limits, the police said. In a related development, the decks were cleared for Mr Hinn’s programme with the Karnataka high court refusing to grant an interim stay on the event which has come under fire from the BJP and Sangh parivar outfits.

Observing that there was absolutely no prima facie satisfactory material on the basis of which an opinion could be formed at this stage that the organisers had a hidden agenda to convert people from other faiths to Christianity by force at the three-day event, the court said there was no need for it to issue an interim order.

A division bench, comprising Justice S.R. Nayak and Justice Ajit Gunjal, also observed that the police commissioner and the advocate general had assured that every arrangement had been made to conduct the programme in a “smooth manner” and that the information gathered by the government did not indicate any forced conversion to Christianity on the part of the organisers.

Hindu Jagarana Vedike has filed the petition alleging that Mr Hinn had organised the “mass conversion” prayer in the guise of the “Pray for India” rally and that as a Christian evangelist and preacher, he was known for his abusive language against other religions.
The counsel for Mr Hinn submitted that he is coming to India to participate in the rally and that he would invoke the blessings of Lord Jesus to help the people of India overcome several disadvantages to which they have been subjected to.

Mr Hinn’s counsel also told the court that the pastor might also pray to Lord Jesus to cure the ailments of those who take part in the programme with faith and his action should not be condemned as black magic to attract the provisions of the Drugs and Magical Remedies Act.

While refusing to grant an interim stay, the court which had on January 18 directed the advocate general to take notice on behalf of the authorities, fixed the next date of hearing for February 21.