Is BJP divided over Kerala nuns' arrest? Rajeev Chandrasekhar meets head of catholic body; Amit Shah summons Chhattisgarh CM
The arrest of two elderly Kerala nuns in Chhattisgarh is reportedly drawing conflicting reactions from Bharatiya Janata Party leaders of different states. While Kerala BJP Rajeev Chandrasekhar called the arrest a fallout of "misunderstanding", the Chhattisgarh government has justified the
Kerala Bharatiya Janata Party chief and former Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said the arrest of two Malayali nuns in Chhattisgarh was fallout of procedural lapses and "misunderstanding". Chandrasekhar said the BJP governments will not oppose bail plea of the nuns in the Chhattisgarh High Court.
The Kerala BJP chief met with Archbishop Andrews Thazhath, head of the Thrissur Archdiocese and President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI), on Thursday, and reportedly briefed him about the developments. Archbishop Andrews Thazhath told mediapersons in the presence of Chandrasekhar that Christians are facing discrimination in various states and attacks against them are increasing.
The archbishop said the nuns did not commit any crime and urged the BJP leader to ensure that nuns are released from prison soon.
The arrest of two elderly Malayali nuns in Chhattisgarh, where BJP is in power, over charges of human trafficking and forced conversion has reportedly hampered the BJP's move to woo Christian votes in Kerala.
Chandrasekhar told presspersons that the nuns' arrest should not be politicised and that the arrest happened due to procedural lapses. "States like Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh have strong laws against conversion and human trafficking. Details of candidates must be uploaded in a portal under the Chhattisgarh Private Placement Agencies (Regulation) Act while hiring persons from the state. Since they lacked these documents, the nuns were arrested," he said.
Chandrasekhar said Home Minister Amit Shah has assured him that police will not oppose the bail plea in Chhattisgarh High Court.
Meanwhile, Shah has reportedly summoned Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai over the incident. Sai, who is in New Delhi, had justified the arrest. Reacting to presspersons outside Parliament on Friday, when asked about the arrests, Sai said, "law is doing its job."
Kerala nuns, sister Vandhana Francis and sister Preethi Mary were arrested at Durg railway station in Chhattisgarh, alleging they were forcibly trying to convert three girls from Narayanpur, promising jobs. The nuns were allegedly manhandled by Bajrang Dal supporters at the station.
Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma told ANI the arrests have nothing to do with votes. "Earlier too, a delegation from the Congress party had come, and we facilitated their meeting with the nuns, but, they should understand whether by doing this, are they trying to pressure the court? This is a matter on which the police have taken action; whether bail will be granted or not, the court will decide."
India