Tirunelveli

Eleven Taiwanese nationals had to cut short their visit to the city after police today asked them to return to their country for allegedly propagating Christianity after coming here on tourist visa.

Police said the eleven, including three women, were asked to return to their country after an inquiry at the Police Commissionerate here following protests against them by BJP workers and activists of local Hindu outfits.

They left here for Chennai tonight, police added.

The Taiwanese, who had come to the house of one Prabakaran at the NGO Colony here on December 24, allegedly preached religion and distributed Christian pamphlets at nearby Perumalpuram during the Christmas celebrations yesterday, triggering protests by BJP workers and volunteers of some Hindu outfits.

Tension prevailed in the area as the BJP workers and others objected to the visitors indulging in religious propaganda after coming to the country as tourists, police said.

The protesters had also gheraoed them and asked them leave.

Police had to rush to the spot and rescued the foreigners and sent them away. Later they were asked to come to the Commissionerate today.

The incident comes amid the controversy over the ‘ghar vapsi’ (home coming) programme of VHP which has triggered a debate over religious conversions.

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