'Worrying pattern': Pinarayi Vijayan, Congress slam pastor's arrest
What's the story
A Kerala pastor and seven others were arrested in Maharashtra's Amravati district for allegedly offering monetary incentives for religious conversion in Varud. A local resident, Lakshman Shede, filed a complaint alleging that a man was preaching Christianity and reportedly offering incentives, such as money, to villagers for conversion. "According to the complaint, they were saying, 'Come to our religion,' and were offering money and jobs as incentives," police said.
Legal proceedings
Arrests follow complaint, pastor granted bail
The police investigation led to the arrest of Ritesh Bondre, Anandkumar Kari, Sudhir William John William, Vikram Gopal Sande, and four women. They were booked under sections related to hurting religious sentiments. However, all accused were granted bail after being produced in court. Reacting to the arrest, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan called the arrests "deeply disturbing," accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of targeting minorities to fuel polarization. He wrote on X, "Such actions undermine constitutional freedoms."
Political backlash
Congress accuses BJP of targeting Christians
Congress MP KC Venugopal also slammed the incident, saying Christians are being selectively targeted in BJP-ruled states for practicing their faith. "The latest arrest of a Christian priest in Nagpur is highly condemnable and is a clear indication that wherever the BJP is in power, it uses the state machinery to harass Christians under the bogus pretense of religious conversions," he said in a post on X.