NEW DELHI: Congress on Wednesday strongly criticised the BJP following the arrest of a Christian priest and 11 others in Nagpur, Maharashtra, throughout a Christmas prayer assembly, accusing the social gathering of pursuing a “hate-filled agenda of spiritual bigotry.” The Maharashtra Police arrested 12 people, together with Father Sudhir, a Malayali priest of the CSI South Kerala Diocese, Nagpur Mission, and his spouse Jasmine, after a grievance allegedly filed by Bajrang Dal activists. The arrests reportedly occurred round 8.00 pm throughout a Christmas prayer assembly in Nagpur. In response to the leaders, individuals who later went to the police station to investigate concerning the incident have been additionally taken into custody, and circumstances have been registered in opposition to them.Congress MP KC Venugopal in an official submit on X described the incident as “extremely condemnable” and alleged that the arrest confirmed the BJP “makes use of the state equipment to harass Christians below the bogus pretense of spiritual conversions.”Venugopal mentioned rising polarisation had made life “unlivable for all minorities” in BJP-ruled states. He demanded that the FIR in opposition to the priest be withdrawn instantly and referred to as for strict motion in opposition to what he described as “Bajrang Dal goons,” whose alleged “hooliganism” led to what he termed a “frivolous case.” He mentioned, “Those that take legislation into their very own palms and destroy the secular cloth envisioned in our Structure have to be those receiving punishment – not harmless residents.”Kerala Meeting Chief of Opposition VD Satheesan additionally condemned the arrests and sought pressing intervention from the Centre and the Maharashtra authorities. In a submit on X, he tagged PM Modi and Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, demanding the discharge of all these arrested.In his letter, Satheesan wrote, “I write this letter to register my robust protest and to hunt your pressing intervention relating to the arrest of twelve individuals, together with a Malayali priest, in Nagpur on allegations of compelled spiritual conversion.” He added that Father Sudhir is a local of Amaravila in Thiruvananthapuram district and has been serving in Maharashtra for the previous 5 years, whereas the remaining 10 arrested people are natives of Maharashtra.Satheesan mentioned all of the arrested individuals are at present being detained on the Benoda Police Station and are prone to be produced earlier than a courtroom shortly. He famous that CSI representatives tried to safe bail on the police station however have been directed to method the courtroom. Describing the incident as alarming, he mentioned, “This incident is deeply disturbing and raises critical considerations concerning the violation of the basic rights assured by the Structure of India, notably the liberty to profess, apply, and propagate faith. Arresting people for conducting a peaceable prayer assembly is unconstitutional and opposite to the spirit of our democratic and secular values.”
