Vijayan, Congress leaders condemn pastor's arrest

The arrest of a Kerala-based Christian priest and several others in Maharashtra on allegations of religious conversion has snowballed into a major political controversy, drawing sharp reactions from both the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala.

- A.M. Abdussalam

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan have accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Sangh Parivar organisations of selectively targeting Christians and undermining constitutional freedoms under the guise of conversion-related complaints.

Satheesan wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, seeking urgent intervention.

The incident occurred in Warud area of Amravati district, around 80km from the city, where Maharashtra Police arrested a pastor and seven others, including four women, following a complaint that money and jobs were being offered to villagers to convert to Christianity.