Leaders of right-wing Hindu groups are reigniting the con-troversial issue of Christian missionaries converting Hindus, ahead of Pope Francis’ historic Asian visit that will see him travel to Myanmar instead of India.

They have feigned ignorance about the pontiff being blocked from a planned India visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.

The “Vishwa Hindu Parishad” (VHP, Council of Hindus) and other right-wing groups such as the Bajrang Dal, a hard-line Hindu group opposed to Christian missionary work, have been demand-ing a moratorium on the church’s conversion activities. They also opposed Pope John Paul II’s visit to New Delhi in November 1999.

Pope Francis “will have to clarify how con-version of people from other religions is justified,” said Bajrang Dal activist Angad Prasad from Assam State in north-eastern India.

VHP sources told ucanews. com they would have a few questions for the Pope, in an obvious reference to the conversion issue that Hindu groups have been steadfastly opposing.

Church leadership “lost hope” for a 2017 papal visit to India when Indian Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Bombay, who will now be celebrating Mass with Pope Francis in Yangon on Nov 29, indirectly told media that until June this year New Delhi had issued no invitation to the Pope — a necessary condition for a head of state visit under international diplomatic protocol.

“We are already in June. Even if they suddenly say, ‘come’ … (it) will take several months for the dioceses to prepare the people,” the president of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences was quoted in the media as saying.