Kerala Nuns’ Arrest a Misunderstanding, Says BJP Leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar

BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar has stated that the arrest of two nuns in Chhattisgarh on charges of human trafficking and forced conversion was a misunderstanding. He anticipates their release on bail soon. This statement was made following a meeting with the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), Archbishop Andrews Thazhath of Thrissur. Chandrasekhar indicated that Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have assured that the state government will not oppose the nuns’ bail applications. He emphasized that this is a judicial process and urged against politicizing the issue. He explained that the misunderstanding arose due to the failure to register young women traveling between districts for employment on a designated portal, as mandated by a Chhattisgarh law controlling private placement agencies. Archbishop Thazhath, after meeting with Chandrasekhar, expressed the Church’s desire for the nuns’ swift release, stating their distress over the actions taken against them. He also discussed with Chandrasekhar the need for the safety and security of the Christian community in the country. The nuns, Preeti Mary and Vandana Francis from Kerala, along with Sukhman Mandavi, were arrested on July 25 at Durg railway station in Chhattisgarh by the GRP, based on a complaint from a local Bajrang Dal official who accused them of forcibly converting and trafficking three young women.