At a news conference here, Sanskritik Raksha Manch (SRM), a front organisation of the VHP, also sought answers from the supreme spiritual leader of Catholics to several questions on salvation, godhood and fundamentalism, besides demanding an apology for alleged atrocities committed during inquisitions in Goa, Vasai and other places.

``We are not against the pope but `Churchianity' which seeks to convert Hindus by inducements, bribes and threats. We welcome the Pope and would like to apprise him of the manner in which his bishops have maligned and vilified the Hindus for no fault of theirs,'' VHP leader B P Singhal told reporters here.

He said that the series of programmes being organised by the SRM including apadyatra from Goa to Delhi, besides seminars, teleconferences and meetings with the diplomatic corps to coincide with the papal visit were aimed at ``only creating awareness, in the Gandhian way of satyagraha, about the atrocities committed on the Hindus.''

Singhal also wondered why the Pope cannot apologise for the inquisitions in Goa and other places when he can beg forgiveness for the atrocities committed in Dominican Republic and for the beheading of Calvinists in Slovakia.

Meanwhile, activists of the Janata Sangharsh Samiti today staged a demonstration opposite the Red Fort here protesting the visit of Pope John Paul II and also burnt an effigy of the Pontiff. The activists marched through the walled city shouting anti-Pope and anti-conversion slogans before burning the effigy.