Congress slams BJP over arrest of Kerala nuns in Chhattisgarh; calls it ‘mob trial'; demands release
NEW DELHI: The
Congress party
on Sunday lashed out at the rival
BJP
, condemning the arrest of two Catholic nuns from Kerala in Chhattisgarh.
Congress leader KC Venugopal alleged that "attacks on minorities have seen a rampant increase under BJP-ruled states".
'Attacks on minorities have seen a rampant increase under BJP-ruled states, be it Chhattisgarh, Odisha or MP. The latest attacks by Bajrang Dal goons on two Catholic nuns in Durg, Chhattisgarh, point to a tacit support for such hate crimes from the ruling establishment,' Venugopal wrote on X.
He pointed at the alleged "persecution of minorities" under the BJP government and accused right-wing groups of orchestrating the incident.
— kcvenugopalmp (@kcvenugopalmp)
Venugopal said he had written to Union home minister Amit Shah and Chhattisgarh chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai demanding strict action against the perpetrators and urging the government to protect constitutional rights and religious freedom in the state.
According to media reports, the two nuns were detained recently at a railway station in Chhattisgarh's Durg district following allegations of human trafficking and forced religious conversion, reported PTI.
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VD Satheesan, leader of opposition in Kerala Assembly, also raised concerns, calling the arrest a disturbing instance of religious persecution.
'In BJP-ruled Chhattisgarh, two Malayali nuns faced mob trial, police persecution and false charges', Satheesan posted on X.
He demanded the immediate release of the nuns, asserting that 'persecution in the name of religion or caste is unacceptable.
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