Shillong, Jul 30: The United Democratic Party (UDP) has strongly condemned the arrest of two Catholic nuns in Chhattisgarh, calling it an act driven by communal motives and infringement on the rights and safety of minority communities.
Two Kerala-based nuns were arrested at Durg railway station in Chhattisgarh on July 25 over alleged human trafficking and forced religious conversion.
UDP working president Titosstarwell Chyne said, “The arrest appears to be driven by communal motives, posing a threat to the principles of justice and equality. It reflects a disturbing trend of increasing hostility toward minority communities, particularly Christians, in different parts of the country.”
He also said that the arrest violates the constitutional right to freedom of religion and expressed the party’s solidarity with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) and other groups that have raised concerns over the incident.
Chyne denounced the allegations of human trafficking and forced religious conversion as baseless, calling them a misuse of the law aimed at harassing minority groups.
“The Chhattisgarh government must take decisive action to uphold constitutional values and protect minority rights. We urge the authorities to take appropriate steps to safeguard the country and its people from communalism, and to ensure that justice prevails.”
The UDP has demanded the immediate release of Sister Vandana Francis and Sister Preeti Mary and urged that the FIR filed against them be quashed.
