Chhattisgarh BJP Deletes Controversial Cartoon on Nuns

Raipur, August 2, 2025 — The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Chhattisgarh faced sharp criticism on Saturday after posting a controversial cartoon on social media platform X, targeting Congress leaders in connection with the recent arrest of two Christian nuns. The post was quickly deleted following widespread backlash, with users accusing the party of mocking Christianity.

The cartoon portrayed senior Congress leaders—Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and K.C. Venugopal—bowing before Catholic nuns, insinuating their support for individuals allegedly involved in human trafficking and religious conversions. The image, shared briefly on the BJP Chhattisgarh handle, was deleted within hours after sparking outrage among social media users and opposition parties.

The arrests of Sr. Preeti Mary and Sr. Vandana Francis—nuns from Kerala—along with a local resident from Narayanpur, took place in Durg on 25 July. The incident has ignited political controversy across state and national levels, with allegations that the charges were based on disputed testimonies. The women who initially accused the nuns have since publicly denied any incidents of trafficking or conversion.

The deleted cartoon drew a swift and firm response from the Chhattisgarh unit of the Congress party. Party spokesperson Sushil Anand Shukla stated that the BJP was compelled to take down the post due to the fear of alienating voters in Kerala, where the arrested nuns hail from.

“The arrest of the nuns was illegal and baseless. Action was taken based on fabricated statements, which have now been refuted. Even the Kerala BJP president has criticised the arrest. The BJP’s actions have exposed their motives, and the party deleted the post fearing electoral losses in Kerala,” Shukla asserted.

Responding to the controversy, Somesh Pandey, co-convenor of the BJP’s IT cell in Chhattisgarh, confirmed the deletion but offered little clarification. “The post was removed because it was not the right subject,” he said, without elaborating further.

Other BJP spokespersons declined to comment, and the party’s state president, Kiran Singh Deo, remained unavailable.

The incident has further fuelled the political firestorm surrounding the arrests, highlighting tensions over religious sensitivities and political narratives in the lead-up to upcoming elections.

Source : The Hindu

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