Meanwhile, Kerala Minister for Law, Coir and Industries P Rajeeve condemned the arrest, calling it wrongful. He warned that efforts to weaken the Constitution are underway across the country.

“Religious minorities are facing persecution in different parts of India. This is not a problem for one community alone. Just as the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) affected more than just the Muslim community, this incident impacts all citizens. The Centre must act swiftly to address this violation of fundamental rights,” he said.

CBCI twisting facts: VHP

The CBCI leadership is concealing the real facts behind the case, said Vishwa Hindu Parishad state general secretary Anil Vilayil.

“Chhattisgarh has laws against religious conversion using inducements or financial benefits, and against human trafficking. These charges fall under the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act and the Prevention of Human Trafficking Act — both enacted by the Congress government in 1968 when Chhattisgarh was still part of Madhya Pradesh,” he said.

According to him, certain Kerala-based Christian organisations working to evangelise India are active in the northeast. “Local communities may object to aggressive and well-funded conversion drives that misrepresent Hindu rituals. Branding such objections as orchestrated conspiracies by groups like the VHP or Bajrang Dal is misleading and condemnable. Instead of politicising, the CBCI should investigate and act against individuals and organisations involved in systematic conversion efforts,” he said.