Christians Take Out Rally to Protest Arrest of 2 Nuns in Chhattisgarh
The Telugu Catholic Bishops’ Council condemned the arrests, calling them "baseless and malicious"
Hyderabad: Protesting against the arrest of two Malayali Catholic nuns in Chhattisgarh on charges of forced religious conversion, the Christian community in Hyderabad held a peace rally on Thursday evening.
The rally, which began at St Francis Girls School, saw participation from nuns, priests, Christian leaders, and youth holding placards. It proceeded to the statue of Mother Teresa in Secunderabad and concluded with a candlelight vigil.
The Telugu Catholic Bishops’ Council condemned the arrests, calling them "baseless and malicious." The council demanded an immediate and impartial inquiry into the incident and urged the government to withdraw all fabricated allegations against the nuns.
Deepak John, chairman of the Telangana Christian Minority Finance Corporation, stated, “Several Christian groups joined this protest. We express our gratitude to Rahul Gandhi for extending his support to the nuns through his tweet. We urge the government to ensure justice is delivered.”
The All India Christian Federation (AICF) also expressed grave concern over the arrests. Its national president, Vijaya Raju Gaddapati, said, “This is not only a violation of their dignity but also reflects a disturbing pattern of religious intimidation targeting Christian missionaries and humanitarian workers.”
Christian leader Roydin Roach added, “It is high time Christians unite and raise their voice against such atrocities. Our message must reach every corner of the country until justice is delivered.”
Various Christian organisations held protest programmes across the city. The Christ Media Centre, in a press conference in Secunderabad, demanded the immediate release of the nuns. Christian leaders present at the event condemned the actions of right-wing extremist groups and urged the government to ensure that such incidents are not repeated.
