New Delhi: Widespread outrage continues to mount across India following the arrest of two Kerala-based Catholic nuns in Chhattisgarh, prompting Union Home Minister Amit Shah to summon Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai for an urgent meeting in Delhi. The nuns, Sister Preethi Mary and Sister Vandana Francis, have now been in jail for a week under serious allegations of human trafficking and forced religious conversion.

The nuns were arrested at Durg railway station on July 25 while accompanying four young tribal women from Chhattisgarh, who were heading to a convent in Agra. Despite producing consent letters from the women’s families and proper documentation, the nuns were taken into custody based on complaints filed under the Freedom of Religion Act and the Indian Penal Code. However, families of the young women and multiple church authorities have clarified that the girls were willingly joining the convent for educational and job opportunities, with no coercion or conversion involved.

Despite mounting evidence of procedural lapses and growing public dissent, the bail plea of the nuns has only recently been moved in the NIA (National Investigation Agency) court, as legal experts feared delays in the High Court. The government’s stance on the case remains pivotal. With the matter now gaining national traction, judicial consideration of the bail plea is expected imminently.

Responding to political heat and public protests, Amit Shah has called Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai to Delhi for a high-level discussion. Shah is reported to have assured Kerala leaders that central assistance will be extended to address the issue, and that the matter will be examined from a legal and humanitarian standpoint. BJP insiders indicate that Shah's intervention aims to defuse tensions both within Parliament and in the public sphere.

The incident has ignited sharp criticism from opposition parties and religious bodies. The Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) have accused authorities of religious targeting and persecution. Protests have been staged in Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, and across several districts in Kerala. Congress and UDF MPs staged a symbolic walkout in Parliament, demanding justice and highlighting growing religious intolerance in BJP-ruled states.

CPI(M) and Congress leaders, including Opposition Leader V.D. Satheesan, have echoed these concerns, claiming that the arrest is part of a broader agenda to criminalize the charitable work of Christian missionaries. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has written a formal letter to Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Shah, urging immediate action to secure the nuns' release.

The BJP leadership in Kerala is under pressure to defend the party’s image amid rising Christian discontent. Union Minister George Kurian has acknowledged that a procedural error may have contributed to the legal delay. He, along with BJP State Vice President Rajeev Chandrasekhar, is reportedly working behind the scenes to ensure a resolution. Both leaders maintain that the arrest stemmed from a misunderstanding and not political malice.

As of now, the nuns remain in judicial custody in Durg. The legal team is preparing to escalate the matter if bail is not granted swiftly. Meanwhile, Christian organizations, human rights advocates, and political leaders continue to press for justice, fearing this case could set a dangerous precedent for religious freedom in India.

This episode, now drawing national and international attention, has transformed into a test case for how India handles minority rights, religious freedom, and the balance between security laws and civil liberties.