Kerala Delegation Visits Arrested Nuns Amid Conversion Allegations

Leaders of Kerala's Congress-led UDF alliance visited Durg jail in Chhattisgarh to meet two Catholic nuns accused of human trafficking and forced conversion. The delegation contends that the nuns are innocent, blaming right-wing activists for fabricating the allegations. Political tensions have arisen, with claims of targeting minorities.

A delegation from the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala visited the Durg Central Jail in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday. Their mission was to meet two Catholic nuns, Preethi Merry and Vandana Francis, who have been arrested on allegations of human trafficking and forced religious conversion.

The visit by the UDF delegation, which included several Lok Sabha MPs from Kerala, was marked by protests and political undertones. The delegation members, after meeting the nuns, asserted their innocence and accused right-wing activists of spreading baseless propaganda against them.

Premchandran, a Lok Sabha MP, claimed that the arrests were a part of a larger strategy by the ruling party to polarize votes by targeting minority communities. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, however, maintained that the issue centered around the safety of women and should not be politicized.

(With inputs from agencies.)