Latest news with #Venugopal
New Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Nuns' arrest: Shah to meet Kerala MPs today
NEW DELHI: As Chhattisgarh sessions court on Wednesday disposed of the bail application of two Kerala nuns arrested in charges of 'alleged forced conversion, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said he will meet Parliamentarians from Kerala on Thursday and discuss the issue in detail. Shah's assurance came after MPs from Kerala sought an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah demanding an early release of the nuns, who were arrested on charges of 'forced conversion and human trafficking' at the Durg railway station last week. On Wednesday, UDF MPs NK Premachandran, Benny Behanan and Francis George met Shah and urged the immediate intervention of the Central government to secure the release of the nuns. Speaking to this newspaper, the MPs said that Shah assured them that the Centre will extend all possible help to secure the bail of the two catholic nuns. The three MPs were part of the delegation, which visited the nuns in Durg jail. The arrest has snowballed into a major political firestorm with several MPs raising the issue in Parliament as well. Disposing of the bail, the sessions court in Durg said that it does nothave the jurisdiction to hear cases under human trafficking and the nuns may have to go to an NIA court for further legal action. Raising the issue in the Lok Sabha during the Zero Hour, MPs K C Venugopal and K. Suresh termed the incident as 'deeply disturbing and shocking' Demanding the immediate release of the nuns, Venugopal said that the nuns, Preethi Mary and Vandana Francis, Venugopal alleged that the nuns were 'falsely accused' of conversion and trafficking. 'These two nuns have been in jail for the last five days without any reason. What cruelty is this? If the government does not act now, the situation will spiral out of control,' he said. Earlier, Kerala MPs including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took out a protest march outside Parliament seeking the release of the nuns.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Congress MP Venugopal slams Kerala nuns' arrest in Chhattisgarh, asks Centre to intervene
The Centre must intervene and ensure the release of two nuns, who were arrested in Chhattisgarh on allegations of human trafficking and forcefully converting into Christianity, Lok Sabha member from Alappuzha and Congress leader K.C. Venugopal said on Wednesday (July 30, 2025). Making a forceful intervention in the Lok Sabha during the Zero Hour, Mr. Venugopal said the arrest of the nuns from the Durg Railway Station as 'deeply disturbing and shocking incident'. Describing the incident, the Congress leader said that on July 25, two nuns Preeta Mary and Vandana Francis, were targeted by members of Bajrang Dal. 'They belongto the Assisi Sisters of Mary Immaculate, a Syro-Malabar congregation based in Cherthala,, were attacked and falsely accused of religious conversion and human trafficking by Bajrang Dal,' Mr. Venugopal said. 'This institution belong to my constituency and they are helping terminally ill cancer patients by offering palliative care .'he added amid Opposition members including Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi crying out, 'shame, shame!' The two nuns, along with two other local women from Chhattisgarh were arrested from the Railway Station, following a complaint by a local Bajrang Dal member, Ravi Nigam. These nuns were supposed to take two local women from Chhattisgarh to Agra to be trained as nurses. 'Last five days, these two innocent nuns are in jail without any reason. What cruelty is this? Is the country a banana republic?...Chief Minister [Vishnu Sai] is repeating the same version of Bajrang Dal. What a shame. It is high time fore the government acted upon,'Mr. Venugopal said. In a separate post on X, Mr. Venugopal said that while 'the Prime Minister and Kerala BJP wax eloquent about their newfound love for Christians, but in reality, have venom in their hearts against minorities'. Earliers, MPs belonging to Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala staged a protest outside Parliament to demand the release of the two nuns. Top Congress leaders including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and K.C. Venugopal were part of the protests. They were carrying placards that read: 'Release the nuns, arrest the goons'. 'Every minute they remain in prison is an attack on our Constitution. Rights of minorities cannot be trampled upon by the forces of hate,' Mr. Venugopal said in a post on X. These nuns were supposed to take two local women from Chhattisgarh to Agra to be trained as nurses. Speaking to The Hindu over the phone on Monday evening, the respective sisters of two women rejected claims of forceful conversions and said that the women themselves had consented to being taken to Agra for the job and they (family members) did not have any objections either.
Hans India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Kerala nuns' arrest: Sessions court in Chhattisgarh declines bail plea, refers case to Bilaspur HC
Raipur/Thiruvananthapuram: In a setback for two Kerala-based nuns currently lodged in Durg jail, a sessions court on Wednesday declined to entertain their bail plea, directing the petitioners to approach the NIA-designated bench at the Chhattisgarh High Court in Bilaspur. The court ruled that it lacked jurisdiction to hear the bail application in the matter, which is being probed under the provisions of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act. Despite insistence from the nuns' counsel, the court dismissed the plea. Just before the sessions court began its hearing, a group of Bajarang Dal activists gathered and started shouting slogans against the nuns and the way they were trying to cover up a case that, according to them, involved human trafficking and forced religious conversion. The complainant in the case is Ravi Nigam. A battery of five lawyers represented him in court during the proceedings. Advocate Jaiswal, present in the court, said the sessions court is not competent to hear the case and asked them to approach the High Court. As the news came, the Bajarang Dal activists, waiting outside the court, erupted in celebration. The issue was raised in both houses of Parliament, though it was not taken up for discussion. Earlier, all MPs from Kerala staged a protest outside the parliament. Later, Congress-led UDF MPs called on Union Home Minister Amit Shah and briefed him on the matter. Senior lawmakers, including AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal, have sought an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring the issue before him. Venugopal, speaking in the Lok Sabha, said this is a burning issue in Kerala. Centre must intervene as the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister is not acting responsibly, he said. "Spoke in Parliament demanding the immediate release of Sister Vandana and Sister Preethi belonging to the Assisi Sisters of Mary Immaculate, who were brutally attacked by Bajrang Dal goons in Durg in Chhattisgarh and later arrested by the police without any reason. Instead of upholding the Constitution, the Chhattisgarh CM is validating the mob narrative that took the law into their own hands for their hateful agenda. The PM and Kerala BJP wax eloquent about their newfound love for Christians, but in reality, have venom in their hearts against minorities," Venugopal posted on X. Earlier in the day, a delegation led by CPI(M) politburo member Brinda Karat and including MPs A.A. Rahim, K. Radhakrishnan, and Jose K. Mani visited the nuns in jail. Karat condemned the arrest, calling it a clear case of fabricated charges. 'The nuns are completely innocent. This is a targeted move against Christians. We demand their immediate release and quashing of the case,' she said. Back in Kerala, both the ruling LDF and the Congress-led UDF launched separate protests. Senior Congress leaders, including KPCC president K. Sudhakaran and Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan, marched to the Kerala Raj Bhavan, demanding urgent action. 'This is unacceptable. These nuns are known for their humanitarian work. The Centre must act decisively,' said Satheesan. Later in the evening, Church leaders and members of the Christian community will hold a protest march to the Raj Bhavan. The two nuns -- Sister Preeti Mary and Sister Vandana Francis -- belong to the Assisi Sisters of Mary Immaculate, a congregation under the Syro-Malabar Church in Alappuzha district. They had been working at a hospital in Agra. On July 26, while accompanying three women from Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district to Agra for jobs as kitchen helpers in a convent, the nuns and a man, Sukhman Mandavi, were stopped at a Chhattisgarh railway station by Bajrang Dal activists and later taken into custody by police. They were produced before a local court and sent to judicial custody. With the sessions court now directing the matter to the High Court, the nuns will remain in jail until further orders.
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Business Standard
2 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Cong seeks govt's help for release of Catholic nuns jailed in Chhattisgarh
Congress members from Kerala in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday demanded government intervention for release of two Catholic nuns jailed for alleged human trafficking and forced religious conversion in Chhattisgarh. Nuns Preethi Merry and Vandana Francis along with Sukaman Mandavi were arrested at the Durg railway station in the BJP-ruled Chhattisgarh on July 25 following a complaint by a local Bajrang Dal functionary, who accused them of forcibly converting three girls from Narayanpur and trafficking them. Raising the matter during Zero Hour, Congress members K C Venugopal and K Suresh said the incident is "deeply disturbing and shocking" as the nuns are innocent and were doing social work by providing palliative care for cancer patients. Venugopal said the nuns were manhandled and "falsely accused" of religious conversion and human trafficking by Bajrang Dal members. The two nuns were stopped at the Durg railway station while they were travelling to Agra. "These two nuns are in jail without any reason for the last five days. What a cruelty this is. Is the country a banana republic ?... We wrote to the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh and Home Minister of India seeking release of the nuns. But the chief minister is repeating the same version of Bajrang Dal. What a shame," Venugopal said. "This is a high time to act upon. If the government is not acting, the situation will go out of control. The situation in Kerala is also burning, everywhere agitation is happening... The government has to intervene, we need a clear answer and they have to release (the nuns) immediately," Venugopal said. Suresh too raised the issue of the arrest of two nuns and demanded central government intervention. He said the nuns are innocent and were doing social work. Soon after the issue was raised in the Zero Hour, Congress members entered the well demanding release of the nuns. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra stood in their seats protesting against the arrest of the nuns. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘Need a clear-cut answer': K C Venugopal demands immediate release of Catholic nuns jailed in Chhattisgarh
Congress leader K C Venugopal on Wednesday raised the issue of the two Catholic nuns arrested in Chhattisgarh last week on charges of religious conversion and human trafficking and urged the Centre to intervene, demanding that they 'be released immediately'. He was speaking during Zero Hour in Lok Sabha. The nuns from Kerala, Preethi Mary and Vandana Francis, were allegedly attacked at Durg railway station in Chhattisgarh, purportedly by the Bajrang Dal, on July 25. Venugopal said that the nuns were helping cancer patients, giving palliative care services, and helping deprived people. 'These two nuns, along with three other women, went to the station to go to Agra. The Bajrang Dal people manhandled them and tried to raise slogans. The police came, and we thought the police would rescue them,' he said. 'Last Christmas, the Prime Minister went to CBCI [Catholic Bishops' Conference of India] headquarters and gave a big speech with a promise to protect Christian and minority rights… For the last five days, these two nuns have been in jail without any reason,' Venugopal further said. Saying that Congress MPs went there a day earlier, Venugopal said the party has also written to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, seeking the release of the nuns. 'The chief minister is repeating the same version as that of the Bajrang Dal. How can we allow it? If the government is not acting, the situation will go out of control,' he said, adding that nuns in Kerala were protesting. 'We need a clear-cut answer. The government has to intervene, and they should be released immediately,' Venugopal said. Congress MP from Kerala, Kodikunnil Suresh, raised the same issue after Venugopal did, speaking in Malayalam. The arrest of the nuns has become a major political flashpoint. On Tuesday, MPs from Kerala's ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) held separate protests over the issue outside Parliament.
