Priyanka Gandhi protests arrest of Kerala nuns, slams Centre for delaying Wayanad disaster fund

New Delhi: Wayanad Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra staged a protest in the Parliament premises on Wednesday, demanding the release of nuns currently lodged in a Chhattisgarh jail.

The nuns were arrested on July 26 over allegations of human trafficking and forcible religious conversion.

Despite Kerala BJP President Rajeev Chandrasekhar’s statement on Tuesday that the arrest was a result of miscommunication and that neither trafficking nor religious conversion had taken place, the Congress continued its protest, accusing the authorities of targeting minorities.

Speaking to reporters, Priyanka Gandhi said, “Nuns from Kerala were very badly treated. They were accused of things that they were not doing. They were manhandled. They were taken away by the Chhattisgarh Police. We are protesting against this kind of attack on the minority.”

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She further said, “We demand an end to these kinds of atrocities against minorities. No one can accuse people of something that they have not done. We have already raised this issue in Parliament and will raise it today also.”

When asked whether she expects the government to take action, the Congress leader said, “Frankly, the government doesn’t take any action against anything except their publicity, their PR and when elections are coming. I don’t expect any action from the government, but this is our duty to raise our voice.”

The protest comes amid growing criticism over the Centre’s response to disaster-hit Kerala.

The Ministry of Home Affairs informed the Lok Sabha on July 2 that no financial aid has been released to Kerala under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for the financial years 2023-24 and 2024-25, despite the state suffering multiple natural disasters, including severe floods and landslides in Wayanad.

Reacting sharply, Priyanka told reporters, “Even though a year has passed, the people who suffered from that tragedy are still struggling. Despite all our efforts, the goodwill that emerged at the time, and all the help that poured in, they continue to face hardships.”

“There are many systemic issues, and most importantly, the funds sent by the Central government were sent as a loan, which is unprecedented. The whole point was to help them with their financial problems, so how will they ever repay these loans? It’s a small amount for the Central government, and they should waive these loans,” the Wayanad MP added.