KC Venugopal (ANI)
NEW DELHI: Congress on Wednesday strongly criticised the BJP following the arrest of a Christian priest and 11 others in Nagpur, Maharashtra, during a Christmas prayer meeting, accusing the party of pursuing a “hate-filled agenda of religious bigotry.” The Maharashtra Police arrested 12 individuals, including Father Sudhir, a Malayali priest of the CSI South Kerala Diocese, Nagpur Mission, and his wife Jasmine, after a complaint allegedly filed by Bajrang Dal activists. The arrests reportedly took place around 8.00 pm during a Christmas prayer meeting in Nagpur. According to the leaders, people who later went to the police station to enquire about the incident were also taken into custody, and cases were registered against them.Congress MP KC Venugopal in an official post on X described the incident as “highly condemnable” and alleged that the arrest showed the BJP “uses the state machinery to harass Christians under the bogus pretense of religious conversions.”Venugopal said growing polarisation had made life “unlivable for all minorities” in BJP-ruled states. He demanded that the FIR against the priest be withdrawn immediately and called for strict action against what he described as “Bajrang Dal goons,” whose alleged “hooliganism” led to what he termed a “frivolous case.” He said, “Those who take law into their own hands and destroy the secular fabric envisioned in our Constitution must be the ones receiving punishment – not innocent citizens.”Kerala Assembly Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan also condemned the arrests and sought urgent intervention from the Centre and the Maharashtra government. In a post on X, he tagged PM Modi and Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, demanding the release of all those arrested.In his letter, Satheesan wrote, “I write this letter to register my strong protest and to seek your urgent intervention regarding the arrest of twelve persons, including a Malayali priest, in Nagpur on allegations of forced religious conversion.” He added that Father Sudhir is a native of Amaravila in Thiruvananthapuram district and has been serving in Maharashtra for the past five years, while the remaining 10 arrested individuals are natives of Maharashtra.Satheesan said all the arrested persons are currently being detained at the Benoda Police Station and are likely to be produced before a court shortly. He noted that CSI representatives attempted to secure bail at the police station but were directed to approach the court. Describing the incident as alarming, he said, “This incident is deeply disturbing and raises serious concerns about the violation of the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution of India, particularly the freedom to profess, practice, and propagate religion. Arresting individuals for conducting a peaceful prayer meeting is unconstitutional and contrary to the spirit of our democratic and secular values.”
