New Delhi, Jul 28 (PTI) — The arrest of two Catholic nuns from Kerala in Chhattisgarh’s Durg is a "blatant misuse of law", said CPI(M) MP John Brittas on Monday, calling for their immediate release and condemning what he described as a targeted campaign against minority communities.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Brittas shared a letter addressed to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, raising concerns over the July 25 arrest of Sister Vandhana Francis and Sister Preethi by the Government Railway Police (GRP) at Durg railway station. The two nuns were remanded to judicial custody on charges of human trafficking and forced religious conversion — accusations Brittas strongly denied, claiming there is no credible evidence of coercion or unlawful activity.
According to Brittas, the nuns had travelled from Agra to Durg to receive three women and a man from Jharkhand who had come with proper consent to work in a convent. All six individuals were detained by police upon arrival, allegedly on pressure from right-wing activists who filed complaints.
“The arrest of Kerala nuns Sr. Vandhana Francis and Sr. Preethi at Durg on baseless trafficking and conversion charges is a disgrace. This is blatant misuse of the law to target minorities. Free the nuns and stop the hate campaign against those serving society,” Brittas wrote on X.
The CPI(M) leader’s letter described the FIR and judicial remand as “shocking” and symptomatic of a “growing trend of targeting minority communities under flimsy and communally charged allegations.” He also expressed alarm at the confiscation of the nuns' mobile phones and the lack of communication with their families.
The incident has sparked outrage, especially in Kerala, with critics warning of rising misuse of anti-conversion laws to suppress legitimate religious or social work.
Calling for urgent redress, Brittas urged the chief minister to ensure the nuns’ release and demanded an independent probe into the background of the complaint and the role played by right-wing groups.