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Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
2 nuns arrested in Chhattisgarh on conversion charges; ‘targeted for their faith,' claims Rahul Gandhi
The arrest of three people – including two nuns – in Chhattisgarh on conversion allegations has snowballed into a political row, with Opposition Congress calling it 'systematic persecution of minorities'. The arrested people have been identified as nuns Preeti Marry and Vandana Francis, and another person, Sukaman Mandavi. An FIR was registered on the back of a complaint from a local Bajrang Dal worker who alleged the suspects had 'forcibly converted' three women from Narayanpur district and were attempting to traffic them. 'An FIR has been registered against them under relevant sections of the Chhattisgarh Religious Freedom Act and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act,' a GRP official said, adding that when questioned, the victims had alleged that they had been promised jobs and were being taken to Agra, and that one of the suspects had brought them to Durg station. The arrests have drawn a backlash, with Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi claiming that the nuns were being 'being targeted for their faith'. 'It reflects a dangerous pattern: systematic persecution of minorities under this regime,' he said on X, calling it the 'RSS-BJP mob rule'. 'UDF MPs protested in Parliament today. We will not be silent. Religious freedom is a constitutional right. We demand their immediate release and accountability for this injustice.' All India Congress Committee general secretary KC Venugopal also made similar allegations. 'UDF MPs held a strong protest outside Parliament today against the shocking arrest and harassment of Catholic nuns in Durg in Chhattisgarh. They were targeted by a violent mob despite no wrongdoing. By the BJP-RSS ecosystem, all minorities are treated as criminals and lumpen elements are unleashed to intimidate fellow citizens practising their faith. This jugalbandi between Bajrang Dal goons and the police in Chhattisgarh shows the BJP's real intent towards religious minorities,' he said, adding: 'We demand their immediate release and justice for the innocent nuns'.
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Kerala Minister slams VCs for endorsing 'anti-knowledge' agenda
Kerala Higher Education Minister R Bindu on Monday strongly criticised the participation of some university Vice Chancellors in "Gyan Sabha" organised by an RSS-linked group in Kochi, calling it a "disturbing alignment" with forces seeking to undermine the state's progressive academic legacy. Kerala Minister slams VCs for endorsing 'anti-knowledge' agenda In a sharply worded statement, Minister Bindu accused the Sangh Parivar of being fundamentally opposed to modern, inclusive higher education and warned that its efforts to exert ideological control over universities must be firmly resisted. Her statement came a day after the Vice Chancellors of four universities in Kerala -- reportedly including one appointed by the Left government -- attended the national education conference 'Gyan Sabha', organised by the Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas and inaugurated by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat in Kochi on Sunday. "A modern higher education system that aligns with the needs of today's world is intolerable to the Sangh Parivar," Bindu alleged. "The so-called 'Gyan Sabha' is part of a larger, deeply regressive effort to turn Kerala's knowledge-driven society back towards Brahminical domination. To ignore this agenda is to deny history itself," she said. The Minister singled out certain Vice Chancellors, saying their involvement lent legitimacy to what she described as a "crude, anti-knowledge campaign" aimed at eroding academic freedom and silencing independent thought. "It may be a matter of pride for the RSS that the minds of some Vice Chancellors--who are supposed to lead knowledge creation--have been turned into stables of anti-intellectualism. But for Kerala, it is a matter of deep shame," she added. Minister Bindu warned that attempts to transform inclusive educational institutions into ideological training grounds for a Hindu Rashtra would not be tolerated. For having colluded in chaining academic freedom and independent thought to the saffron stable, these Vice Chancellors will have to hang their heads in shame before the academic community for a long time to come, she said. "The youth and the academic community will expose the Sangh Parivar's dangerous delusion that a crude army of ignorance can be built in Kerala. Enlightened by the true knowledge imparted by genuine teachers, the people of Kerala will cast into the dustbin the Sangh Parivar's schemes that treat the darkness of ignorance as something to be celebrated," Bindu said.
India Today
4 hours ago
- India Today
Kerala nuns arrested in Chhattisgarh for alleged conversion, Rahul Gandhi slams BJP
Two Catholic nuns from Kerala, Sisters Vandana Francis and Preeti, were taken into custody at Durg Railway Station in Chhattisgarh on Saturday. The duo, who had reportedly arrived to pick up women coming to work at a local convent, were arrested along with a third person based on a complaint by a Bajrang Dal functionary. The complaint alleged they were forcibly converting and trafficking three girls from arrest has triggered a political storm, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleging that the nuns were targeted for their faith. 'Two Catholic nuns jailed in Chhattisgarh after being targeted for their faith, this isn't justice, it's BJP-RSS mob rule,' Gandhi posted on X. Calling it part of a 'dangerous pattern' of systematic persecution of minorities, he demanded their immediate release and accountability from the authorities. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also raised serious concerns over the incident. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he urged direct intervention to ensure justice. The Chief Minister pointed out that the families of the nuns have been unable to contact them since the detention and called for transparent and fair proceedings in the UDF MPs staged a protest in the Parliament complex on Monday. Congress general secretary K C Venugopal, along with RSP MP N K Premachandran and IUML MP E T Mohammed Basheer, held placards reading 'Stop attacks on minorities' in front of the Makar Dwar said the nuns were harassed by a 'violent mob' despite no wrongdoing. 'This jugalbandi between Bajrang Dal goons and the police shows the BJP's real intent towards minorities,' he wrote on also accused the ruling establishment of enabling hate crimes and wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai seeking justice and constitutional protection for minorities.- EndsMust Watch IN THIS STORY#Kerala
