Kerala catholic church slams BJP over nuns' arrest in hard-hitting editorial

Thiruvananthapuram | The catholic church in Kerala on Monday strongly criticised the BJP and Sangh Parivar over the recent arrest of two nuns from the state in Chhattisgarh, alleging it was not just the nuns who were taken hostage, but rather the secular Constitution of the country itself.

In a hard-hitting editorial in its mouthpiece Deepika Daily, the Church alleged that a Hindutva nation is being defined with the blessings of the ruling BJP at the Centre, with routine protests from the opposition, and within the limitations of the country's judicial system.

"There is no one to stop this," the editorial said.

"What is being established is not a nation guided by justice, fairness or constitutional values, but one endorsed by the blessings of the BJP government at the Centre, constrained by the limits of a biased legal framework, and shaped by the complicity of minority-broker organisations.

"It is not just two nuns who have been taken captive -- it is the very secular democratic framework of the nation that has been held hostage by communal forces," the editorial said.

According to the Church-run daily, minority communities feel insecure across the country -- except in Kerala -- and asserted that if the BJP wished, it could regulate communalism.

"The secular community, including Hindus, Christians and Muslims, is well aware of the politics behind issuing charge sheets to nuns in Chhattisgarh and Odisha, while giving appreciation letters in Kerala," the editorial said, taking a swipe at the BJP.

"The BJP's words and actions are inconsistent, and we lovingly remind its Kerala unit of this," it added, also citing a report by the United Christian Forum, which stated that between 2014 and 2024 -- during the BJP's tenure-- there had been 4,316 incidents of violence against Christians.

Referring to reports that a railway official contacted right-wing activists to express doubts about the nuns, the editorial said that a central government official reaching out to an extremist religious outfit to interrogate passengers and subject them to a “mob trial” was reminiscent of what happens in theocratic states.

Despite the presence of valid documents, the Chhattisgarh police arrested the nuns and remanded them to judicial custody at the behest of communal forces, the editorial alleged.

"It was not the nuns, but the secular Constitution of the country that was held hostage there," it said.

The mouthpiece went on to claim that the “kangaroo courts” of communal forces not only punish minorities through public trials, but also incite violence by storming places of worship and educational institutions armed with weapons.

The Christian community, it said, was forced to celebrate Christmas and Easter under the mercy of the Sangh Parivar, and alleged that the Bible and the cross now face an invisible ban in the country.

Although numerous complaints have reportedly been lodged with the Prime Minister and the President regarding atrocities against minorities, all such efforts have been in vain, the editorial lamented.

The hard-hitting editorial came a day after Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention in ensuring justice to Catholic nuns from the state who were arrested in Chhattisgarh.

The Congress in the southern state also vehemently criticised the BJP and the Sangh Parivar over the reported arrest of two Catholic nuns by police in Chhattisgarh.

AICC general secretary K C Venugopal and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly V D Satheesan on Sunday cited it as the latest example of attack against minorities in the BJP-ruled states.

According to media reports, the Kerala-based nuns were arrested at a railway station in Chhattisgarh recently on charges of human trafficking and forced conversion raised by right-wing activists.

Meanwhile, the family of one of the arrested nuns on Monday expressed serious concern for her safety.

Sister Preethi's family said the nuns and priests had been living in constant fear in Chhattisgarh, and had previously shared their concerns with relatives over the phone.

"Sister told us that the present situation was no longer the same as before, and that they were even afraid to go out freely. But we never imagined she would end up in such a situation," a family member told media in Kerala.