Aizawl, Aug 1 (PTI) Mizoram Congress president Lal Thanzara on Friday slammed Chief Minister Lalduhoma and two MPs -- K Vanlalvena and Richard Vanlalhmangaiha -- for allegedly remaining mum on the recent arrest of two Catholic nuns from Kerala in Chhattisgarh.
Sister Vandana Francis and Sister Preethy Mary, along with another person Sukhman Mandavi, were arrested by the Government Railway Police (GRP) at Durg railway station in Chhattisgarh on July 25 following a complaint by a local Bajrang Dal functionary, who accused them of forcibly converting three women from tribal-dominated Narayanpur district and trafficking them.
Addressing a political session in Aizawl, Lal Thanzara said that senior Congress leaders, including K C Venugopal, Saleng A Sangma and Priyanka Gandhi, have protested against the "arbitrary" arrest and extended their solidarity to the nuns.
"It is very unfortunate that our chief minister and two MPs did not say anything in defence of the two nuns. It is high time that leaders from a Christian-majority state raise their voices over discrimination against the Christian community," Lal Thanzara said.
He also lashed out at state BJP president K Beichhua, who is also a church elder, for allegedly remaining silent on the issue and urged him to speak up on the issue in his capacity as a BJP leader as well as a church leader.
The state Congress chief also condemned the arrest of the nuns and demanded their immediate release.