The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) has condemned the arrest of two nuns from Agra in the state of Chhattisgarh, describing it as part of a growing pattern of harassment and fabricated cases against women religious in India.
The incident took place on July 25 at Durg Railway Station in Chhattisgarh, where Government Railway Police detained Sister Preeti Mary and Sister Vandana Francis of the Green Garden Sisters.
The nuns were accompanying three young women and one adult tribal man, who were reportedly traveling from Narayanpur in the Diocese of Jagdalpur to Agra in Uttar Pradesh, where the women had been offered employment at a Catholic-run hospital.
CBCI “strongly condemned the recent arrest and alleged physical assault,” calling it “part of a worrying wave of harassment, false accusations, and fabricated cases targeting nuns across the country.”
AsiaNews reported that the bishops warned that “Christian nuns are increasingly being targeted by social disruptors, who surround them at train stations, incite crowds, and use offensive language.”
“These actions,” they said, “represent a grave threat not only to the dignity and modesty of these women, but also to their lives.”
Defining these repeated incidents as a “grave violation of the Constitution,” the CBCI urged state governments “to ensure the safety of all women and take prompt measures to prevent such incidents,” while appealing to the central government in Delhi for urgent intervention.
“Reaffirming its commitment to justice and the protection of minority rights,” the bishops’ statement added, “the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India urges the authorities to take concrete measures to guarantee the rights and dignity of women religious and ensure their safety.”
“It is committed to continuing to carefully monitor the situation and to take all necessary actions to safeguard minority communities in India,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, the case has stirred political debate. Rahul Gandhi, leader of the Congress Party, criticized the arrests, saying: “This is not justice, it is mob rule under the BJP-RSS [the right-wing Hindu nationalist party and movements]. It reflects a dangerous pattern: the systematic persecution of minorities under this regime.”
Gandhi also noted that members of his party had staged a protest outside the Delhi Parliament over the Chhattisgarh incident. “We will not remain silent. Religious freedom is a constitutional right,” he said, calling for the immediate release of the nuns and accountability for what he described as an injustice.
