PM Modi Italy Visit: PM Modi, India's Fifth Prime Minister To Visit Pope.
Key Sentence:
- Before Modi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, IK Gujral, and Atal Bihari Vajpayee have visited the Pope.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is visiting Italy to attend the 16th G-20 Summit, met with Pope Francis, the supreme leader of Christianity, in Vatican City today. The visit was scheduled for 20 minutes but lasted about an hour. The meeting with Modi and the Pope focused on climate change, poverty, and making the world better.
This was Prime Minister Modi's first meeting with Pope Francis. However, five Indian prime ministers have already visited Pope Francis. After the visit, Prime Minister Modi has also invited Pope Francis to visit India. The visit of Prime Minister Modi and Pope Francis may mean a lot. Still, given the current situation, it is believed that the visit of Pope Francis and Prime Minister Modi could benefit the BJP in the Kerala and Goa elections.
How will the BJP benefit Goa and Kerala?
According to experts, the visit is considered politically important ahead of the Goa Assembly elections. Because there is a large section of the Christian community in Goa, who can support the BJP. Party leaders say community support is more critical for the BJP in the state. In addition, because it is difficult to form a government without their consent, the Roman Catholic Church also influences Kerala.
The Christian and Muslim population in Kerala is 50 percent of the state's total population, and the BJP needs the support of the Christian community to become a potent political force. Roman Catholics have an influential community in Goa as well as other South Indian states in Kerala. India also has the second-largest Catholic population in Asia. Notably, the BJP has not yet succeeded in Kerala. Prime Minister Modi's visit could benefit the BJP in other parts of the country as well.
Modi has previously visited the Vatican with Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, IK Gujral, and Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
1. Jawaharlal Nehru
When Nehru visited Pope Pius XII in July 1955, the Indian government was facing opposition from the Portuguese to annex Goa. While the Portuguese claimed it wanted to protect Christians in the area, communities worldwide were skeptical of the Indian government's intentions.