Arrest of Keralite priest in Nagpur sparks protests, political backlash in Kerala

The apprehension of a Keralite clergyman nether the CSI Church, his wife, and 10 others successful Nagpur successful Maharashtra connected charges of forced spiritual conversion has sparked wide outrage successful Kerala, igniting protests and governmental uproar.

CSI Bishop Sabu Malayil Koshy, caput of the CSI Bishops’ Council, present connected Wednesday (December 31, 2025) powerfully condemned the action, calling it a blatant usurpation of law freedoms. “Fr.Sudhir has been serving successful Maharshtra Nagpur for the past 12 years, focusing connected educating children and supporting section communities,” helium said.

Holding that the works of Fr. Sudheer has importantly contributed to the improvement of respective villages, the Bishop besides noted that the activities successful question were simply Christmas-related worship services. “The CSI Bishops’ Council powerfully condemns this constabulary action,” helium added.

The incidental came conscionable a time aft Christian bishops met the Vice President of India, urging enactment against attacks connected Christians. Bishop Koshy besides demanded that the governmental enactment successful powerfulness respond decisively.

“The soundlessness of governmental enactment and the authorities successful the look of attacks connected Christians sends the incorrect connection to perpetrators,” the caput warned. “Such inaction, particularly erstwhile a effect is needed, indirectly encourages these actions.” The CSI Church has besides pledged afloat ineligible enactment to those affected and stressed that it is intimately monitoring specified wrongful actions crossed India.

Political leaders successful Kerala excessively person voiced beardown interest implicit the incident. In a societal media post, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan described the incidental arsenic profoundly disturbing. “This follows a worrying signifier by the Sangh Parivar of targeting minorities to substance polarisation, arsenic seen earlier successful Jabalpur. Such actions undermine law freedoms.”

Leader of the Opposition V. D. Satheesan has written to some the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. “This incidental raises superior concerns astir the usurpation of cardinal rights guaranteed by the Constitution, peculiarly the state to profess, practice, and propagate religion. Arresting individuals for conducting a peaceful supplication gathering is unconstitutional and contrary to the tone of our antiauthoritarian and secular values,” helium wrote.

The episode, coming connected the heels of incidents anti-Christian attacks successful northbound India during Christmas, appears to person enactment the BJP connected the defensive. With Assembly elections conscionable months distant successful Kerala, the arrests endanger to interaction the party’s governmental traction among Christians successful Central Travancore.

Adding further pressure, the Catholic Church has besides issued a scathing critique of the Prime Minister for his “silence” connected these attacks done its authoritative mouthpiece Deepika.

Meanwhile, Church of South India (CSI) South Kerala diocese’s Board for Mission associated manager Fr. Jayan told The Hindu that steps were being taken nether the enactment of diocese caput T.T. Praveen to escaped the Keralite clergyman and his wife.

Fr. Jayan said the diocese had got successful interaction with Fr. Sudheer.

(with input from Thiruvananthapuram bureau)