[6 Apr, 2007 l 0229 hrs ISTlTIMES NEWS NETWORK]
HYDERABAD: Police on Thursday questioned 26
American tourists on a visit to the city after
residents of a slum in Baghlingampally complained
that the foreigners were trying to convert the
locals.
According to the Chikkadpally police, a group
of 53 foreigners had come to India on tourist
visas. Of them, 26 came to the city led by a
schoolteacher from California, Angel.
The schoolteacher worked with street children
in the US and contacted her friend working with
an NGO in Hyderabad. The friend, in turn, assigned
a local person to take the entourage on a tour
of the city.
The 'guide' took the foreign visitors to Palamur
slum in Baghlingampally to show them the culture
of India, police said.
"The visitors hugged children and offered
prayers for the well-being of the slum dwellers.
This they did in front of a temple in the slum.
Srinivas, a resident of the slum, lodged a complaint
with us saying that the tourists denigrated
the temple by their act and indulged in conversion
activity," said Chikkadpally assistant
commissioner of police B Sumathi.
In the complaint, he said that the tourists
were propagating their religion by luring people
with gifts like chocolates and sweets.
Police said that the complainant told them
that the tourists hurt the sentiments of another
religion by their speeches.
"It could not be established that the
visitors were engaged in conversion activity
and also the alleged offensive activity took
place outside the temple, which again is not
an offence," added the ACP.
The police let off the tourists, mostly comprising
women, after questioning them. While no case
was booked, police officials said that it would
be done after another round of questioning of
the slum dwellers and the tourists.
The tourists were accompanied by three pastors,
Sudhakar, Soulu and Srinivas who acted as translators
for them.
The tourists are reported to belong to a group,
Youth Wing Mission and went to the slum in vehicles
provided by Bethel Gospel church. Local BJP
leaders rushed to the slum after they got the
news.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1862933.cms
