Raipur: In the aftermath of the controversial arrest of two Catholic nuns in Durg, Chhattisgarh, a wave of condemnation has surged from across the country, with senior church leaders and political heavyweights accusing the BJP-RSS ecosystem of orchestrating a deliberate campaign of intimidation against India’s Christian community. Fr. Lijo Mathew, a veteran Keralite missionary who has worked in Chhattisgarh for over three decades, has exposed the escalating atmosphere of fear and communal hostility, while Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi has slammed the arrest as a “mob trial” and a grave assault on constitutional freedoms.
Fr. Lijo Mathew, deeply familiar with the changing religious landscape in Chhattisgarh, painted a grim picture of what he described as the “deteriorating ground reality” for Christians. He recounted the July 25 incident where two nuns Sister Vandana Francis from Udayagiri parish in Thalassery and Sister Preethi Mary from Elavoor parish in Angamaly, both belonging to the Sisters of Mary Immaculate congregation were arrested at Durg railway station under allegations of human trafficking and religious conversion. These charges, he claims, were fabricated under pressure from Bajrang Dal activists who staged a commotion after spotting the nuns with three girls from Narayanpur accompanied by a male relative.
According to Fr. Mathew, “The police acted entirely on the accusations raised by Bajrang Dal members without verifying any facts. They did not even consider the consent forms signed by the girls’ parents. The children were questioned directly by the activists, and the police refused to take their statements.” He further alleged that officers falsely promised the release of the nuns once the mob dispersed, but instead arrested them and began manipulating the legal process to fabricate a stronger case
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Fr. Mathew also highlighted the growing difficulty of simply wearing church attire in public. “In many parts of Chhattisgarh, priests and nuns are no longer safe wearing religious habits. There’s suspicion at every turn. If clergy travel with young girls even with documents they’re accused of conversion or trafficking,” he said. He described how families of the three girls are now reportedly under pressure to withdraw their support, and the girls remain in the custody of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), delaying the bail process.
Reacting sharply to the incident, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi labeled the arrests as an example of systematic persecution. “This is not justice it is a BJP-RSS mob trial. The nuns have been targeted for their faith. Freedom of religion is a right guaranteed by our Constitution. We will not remain silent,” he posted on Facebook, while also confirming that UDF MPs had raised the issue in Parliament.
Priyanka Gandhi, MP from Wayanad, echoed the same concerns, stating that the arrests were part of a larger pattern of communal harassment under the BJP regime. “This is not an isolated case. Under BJP rule, minorities especially Christians are being targeted repeatedly. False allegations like these are meant to vilify entire communities,” she said. She strongly condemned the arrests of Sisters Vandana and Preethi, calling the charges an attack on fundamental rights and warning against the rise of communalism in place of constitutional rule.
The incident has stirred deep concern among Christian communities across India, especially in Kerala, where the arrested nuns hail from. Church leaders and civil rights groups have demanded an independent and transparent probe into the arrests, the conduct of the Railway Police, and the role of right-wing groups in inciting communal suspicion.
As legal proceedings hang in limbo awaiting a report from the CWC, and as pressure on families and witnesses continues, this case is quickly becoming a litmus test for religious freedom, civil liberties, and police accountability in India. For the Christian clergy in Chhattisgarh, the fear is real, and their message is loud: wearing a religious habit should not make one a target.