Mangaluru: Former MLA J.R. Lobo has strongly condemned the arrest of two Christian nuns from Kerala in Chhattisgarh, calling the charges baseless and politically motivated. Addressing the media at the District Congress office, Lobo demanded their immediate release, denouncing the arrest as a blatant violation of human and religious rights.
Nuns Vandana Francis and Preethi Mary, both from Thrissur, were reportedly traveling with three young women and a young man when they were detained under allegations of religious conversion and human trafficking. Lobo asserted that the accusations were fabricated and timed strategically ahead of the Kerala elections, alleging that the BJP was behind a conspiracy to malign the Christian community.
“If Christians were converting people, Mangaluru would have 90% Christians by now. Our institutions have been educating for decades — how many have we converted?” Lobo asked, criticizing the BJP’s hypocrisy and pointing out that PM Modi finds time to travel abroad, but not to visit Manipur amidst ongoing unrest.
Congress District President Harish Kumar echoed the demand for justice, accusing the Chhattisgarh government and police of bias. “They took statements only from Bajrang Dal members, not from those accompanying the nuns,” he said, calling the non-bailable case unjustified and politically driven.
He also slammed the BJP’s contradictory stance on issues like beef export and religious freedom, accusing them of using selective outrage for political mileage.
Congress leaders including T.K. Suhar, Shalet Pinto, Chetan Bengre, and Nelson Monteiro were present in solidarity.