Congress MP KC Venugopal Urges Action Against Bajrang Dal Over Nuns’ Detention

New Delhi, July 27, 2025 – K.C. Venugopal, Member of Parliament and Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee, has strongly condemned the recent mob action by Bajrang Dal members at Durg Railway Station, Chhattisgarh, where two Catholic nuns and a young man were allegedly detained without legal grounds. In a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Venugopal demanded immediate legal action against those involved and urged the Centre to uphold the rule of law.

Describing the events of 25 July 2025, Venugopal expressed “grave concern and unequivocal condemnation” of the mob incident, where the detained individuals were accompanying three young women for employment purposes with proper documentation. The nuns, identified as Sister Vandana and Sister Preethi, are members of the Assisi Sisters of Mary Immaculate (ASMI), part of the Syro-Malabar Church based in Cherthala, Kerala.

The MP criticised the actions of the vigilante group, calling them “deeply disturbing,” and noted that such mobs incite communal tension and make “unverified accusations of religious conversion and trafficking” without evidence. Despite the presence of full parental consent and documentation, the authorities reportedly continued to detain the nuns and their male companion under alleged political pressure—an action Venugopal termed a “blatant miscarriage of justice” and a “direct attack” on the rights and dignity of minority citizens.

Venugopal also raised serious concerns about the conduct of law enforcement officers present at the scene, questioning their neutrality and commitment to upholding constitutional protections. “The role of the police in succumbing to pressure rather than upholding the rule of law raises serious questions,” he wrote.

The letter also pointed to a broader trend of rising attacks on Christian missionaries, pastors, and minority workers across Chhattisgarh. Venugopal highlighted how “fabricated allegations of religious conversion” have increasingly become a tool to spread fear, intimidate, and suppress constitutional freedoms under Article 25.

In a separate statement addressed to Shah, Venugopal urged the government to take strict legal action against those inciting communal hatred and mob violence. He called for law enforcement agencies to act with impartiality and reaffirmed that “mob justice will not be tolerated in a democratic society.” Failure to act decisively, he warned, would embolden perpetrators and erode public confidence in constitutional governance.

Venugopal’s call to action underscores growing concerns about religious freedom, minority rights, and the rule of law in India, particularly in politically sensitive regions like Chhattisgarh.

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