By Johnson D'Silva In a significant development that *unmasks the blatant misuse of the law to harass religious minorities*, the Hon’ble Special National Investigation Agency (NIA) Court has granted bail to Catholic nuns Sister Preethy Mary and Sister Vandana Francis, who were unjustly arrested in Chhattisgarh on *fabricated charges of religious conversion*.
The court, in its detailed ruling, clearly observed that the adult girls found in the company of the nuns were *neither coerced nor lured into conversion*. Two of them, in fact, were Christians by birth. These facts categorically dismantle the allegations made in the First Information Report (FIR), *exposing the case as a politically motivated attempt to vilify Christian missionaries engaged in social and spiritual service*. This verdict is not merely a legal relief to the innocent nuns—it is a *damning indictment of the malicious intent behind their arrest*. It proves that the proceedings were *manufactured with the sole objective of inciting communal discord and criminalising the Christian faith. The FIR must be quashed immediately, and the state must be held accountable for trampling upon the rights of its citizens*. Equally disturbing is the impunity with which *Bajrang Dal goons attacked the nuns before their unlawful arrest*. These right-wing vigilantes operate as enforcers of hate, emboldened by a climate of official silence and covert support. *Their violent actions must not go unpunished—justice demands that they be arrested and subjected to the strictest legal consequences*. Since the rise of the *Narendra Modi-led BJP* government at the Centre, fundamentalist groups like the Bajrang Dal and other Sangh Parivar affiliates have grown in audacity and impunity. Their repeated acts of aggression against Christians, Muslims, and other minorities are not isolated incidents—they are part of a larger pattern of *state-enabled communal intimidation*. These groups draw support and protection from BJP-ruled state governments, creating an atmosphere where lawlessness thrives under the garb of nationalism and religious policing. *The bogey of "religious conversion" has become a toxic narrative—weaponised to target, torment, and humiliate Christians across the country.* It is a calculated distraction from real issues and a tool for polarising society on religious lines. *India’s Constitution guarantees the right to practice and propagate one’s religion*. These guarantees are now under siege by elements who aim to replace pluralism with majoritarian tyranny. It is imperative that the judiciary, civil society, and right-thinking citizens speak out boldly against this dangerous trend. *The NIA Court’s verdict is a small but vital victory for truth and justice*. But unless structural changes are made and political patronage of hate groups ends, such victories will remain rare. The time has come to reclaim the idea of India—a nation where every citizen, regardless of faith, enjoys dignity, equality, and freedom.
