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.