The Kerala unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has reached out to the Chhattisgarh government regarding the arrest of two Kerala-based nuns, asserting that the case involves neither human trafficking nor religious conversion, and urging a fair resolution.
The nuns were arrested on July 25 at Durg Railway Station in Chhattisgarh for allegedly trafficking and attempting to convert three young women from Kerala. However, Kerala BJP President Rajeev Chandrasekhar clarified that the women were adults traveling with parental consent for job opportunities, and that the allegations are baseless.
“These are nuns accompanying three adult women with the consent of their families for jobs. Therefore, there was no issue of trafficking or conversion,” Chandrasekhar told ANI. “We have contacted the Chhattisgarh government and are hopeful that justice will be done.”
Meanwhile, the Opposition has slammed the BJP, accusing it of targeting Christian minorities. Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel alleged political bias in the incident and criticised the delay in allowing Kerala MPs and MLAs to meet the detained nuns.
“They were told to wait because a BJP delegation was in Raipur. I had to intervene to ensure the meeting happened,” Baghel said while speaking in Durg.
In Delhi, senior Congress MP K. Suresh blamed right-wing groups for orchestrating the arrest, accusing the Bajrang Dal of falsely accusing the nuns of conversion and assaulting them.
“After BJP came to power in Chhattisgarh, attacks on Christian minorities have increased,” Suresh said. “The nuns and the girls they accompanied are innocent and should not have been jailed.”
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) also condemned the incident, stating that the women had written parental permission and were physically assaulted after their arrest.
The case has triggered a political and communal debate, with both sides trading allegations amid growing concern over religious freedom and minority rights.
