Senior CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat on Wednesday visited Durg Central Jail in Chhattisgarh to meet two Kerala-based nuns arrested on charges of human trafficking and forced religious conversion, denouncing their detention as a “targeted attack” on the Christian community.
Karat, joined by CPI leader Annie Raja and other party members, called the arrest baseless and politically motivated. The two nuns were taken into custody on July 25 at Durg Railway Station while accompanying three young women from Kerala.
“These nuns have served the poor for years. Today they are jailed on a fake allegation based on a manufactured lie. A tribal boy was also beaten and jailed. Meanwhile, members of the Bajrang Dal attacked them openly, in front of law enforcement,” Karat said.
She accused the RSS and affiliated groups of acting with impunity under government protection, saying the incident was part of a broader pattern of violence against Christians.
“This is not justice. This is a clear communal and ideological attack. PM Modi speaks of ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas’ abroad, but his supporters insult and jail nuns and tribals at home,” Karat added.
The Kerala BJP, however, distanced itself from the incident. State party president Rajeev Chandrashekhar said the nuns were accompanying three adult women who had consented to travel for work, and denied any link to trafficking or conversion.
“We reached out to the Chhattisgarh government and clarified the situation. These are adult women with parental consent. There was no trafficking or conversion. We hope the government ensures justice,” Chandrashekhar told ANI.
Meanwhile, opposition parties intensified criticism of the BJP government in Chhattisgarh, accusing it of enabling religious intolerance. Former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and senior Congress leaders intervened, demanding the nuns be allowed visitors and calling the arrests unjustified.
“This matter was raised in Lok Sabha and communicated to the Chief Minister. A Kerala delegation was denied access to meet the nuns due to a BJP visit. Only after our intervention were they finally permitted,” Baghel said.
In Delhi, veteran Congress MP K. Suresh alleged that right-wing outfits like the Bajrang Dal, emboldened by the BJP’s rise to power in the state, were harassing Christians under the pretext of conversion.
“Two young women came willingly to work with the nuns. The Bajrang Dal falsely claimed they were being converted, attacked the nuns, and the police followed up by arresting the victims instead of the attackers,” he said.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) also condemned the incident, stating the nuns had parental consent letters for the women involved and were physically assaulted despite their innocence.
The case has triggered nationwide concern about the safety and rights of minority communities and raised questions about rising instances of religious vigilantism.
