Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala’s Leader of the Opposition, VD Satheesan, has strongly condemned the detention of four Catholic nuns from Kerala in Chhattisgarh, demanding their immediate and unconditional release. The nuns, who were on a journey to serve the marginalized, were taken into custody based on unverified allegations, sparking widespread outrage in Kerala and beyond.
“The incident is nothing short of a violation of constitutional rights and religious freedom,” Satheesan said in a press statement. He accused the Chhattisgarh administration of acting in bad faith by detaining the nuns under the pretext of forced religious conversion an allegation he firmly rejected as baseless.
Highlighting the growing trend of targeting Christian minorities in several northern states, the senior Congress leader urged both the Chhattisgarh government and central authorities to intervene immediately. He also criticized the silence of the BJP-led central government and asked whether the safety of Indian citizens now depends on their religious identity.
Satheesan expressed solidarity with the Syro-Malabar Church and the Christian community at large, assuring that the opposition in Kerala will not remain silent on such targeted harassment. “Keralite missionaries are carrying out humanitarian work across India. Targeting them like criminals sends a dangerous message,” he added.
The incident has added to the mounting tension over the safety and dignity of Christian religious personnel working in states with rising anti-conversion sentiments. Public protests, Church appeals, and legal scrutiny are expected to intensify unless swift corrective action is taken.