Congress Ramps Up Protests, Says Nun Arrests Are Attack on Minorities

NEW DELHI, India – July 31, 2025: The Indian National Congress really turned up the heat Wednesday, protesting the arrest of two Catholic nuns in Chhattisgarh. They’re calling it an attack on minorities and want the nuns freed ASAP. Congress members protested outside Parliament and brought it up in the Lok Sabha, saying these arrests are part of a disturbing trend of religious persecution under the current government. Sisters Preethi Mary and Vandana Francis, along with a tribal youth named Sukaman Mandavi, were picked up last week in Durg, accused of human trafficking and trying to force people to convert.

Accusations of Fake Charges and Political Games

Big names in Congress, like Rahul Gandhi, are slamming the arrests, saying it’s all mob rule by certain groups with ties to the ruling party. MPs from Kerala, where the nuns are from, led the charge, claiming the nuns were wrongly accused and roughed up by members of a group at Durg railway station. They say the three tribal girls with the nuns were going to Agra willingly for nursing training and jobs, and their families deny any talk of trafficking or forced conversions.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, a Congress leader, posted that the detention had no legal basis and is a serious attack on minority rights. She stressed that this isn’t just a one-off thing but part of a pattern of harassment.

Parliament Sounds Off, Demands Federal Action

During Zero Hour, Congress MPs K.C. Venugopal and K. Suresh said the whole thing was really messed up and shocking, pointing out the nuns’ work in the community, like caring for the sick. Venugopal criticized the local Chief Minister for supposedly just repeating what the group that made the accusations said. He warned that things could get out of hand if the government doesn’t step in, noting the uproar in Kerala and elsewhere. He demanded answers and the nuns’ immediate release.

Other Congress MPs, like K. Francis George and Hibi Eden, also spoke out against the arrests, saying the case was totally made up and politically motivated. They want the central government to get involved, given how serious the situation is for community relations.

Legal Stuff and Who Has Jurisdiction

On Wednesday, a court in Durg rejected the nuns’ and Sukaman Mandavi’s requests to be released on bail, saying it didn’t have the authority to hear the case. The court said that because the charges are about human trafficking, a special court should handle it. The nuns’ lawyer said they’ll now ask that court for bail.

The arrests happened on July 25 after someone from a local group complained, accusing the nuns of trying to forcibly convert and traffic the tribal girls. The accused were charged under laws related to human trafficking and religious freedom.

Bigger Picture: Religion and Politics

This has caused a stir among Christian organizations across India. The head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India called the arrests totally unacceptable and a clear violation of minority rights and religious freedom. He’s asking the prime minister to step in and protect religious minorities.

While the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh is defending the police, saying it’s about women’s safety and human trafficking disguised as religious conversion, the ruling party in Kerala is reportedly distancing itself from the specific actions of the group that made the accusations, with a state leader saying the nuns aren’t traffickers. This whole thing has made the debate over anti-conversion laws and the safety of religious minorities even more intense.

Reported by: Herohind News Desk