Chaitra Shuklapaksha 7, Kaliyug Varsha 5115
Bhopal : A police probe would be conducted into allegations that an article appearing in a news magazine of a pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP-Indian people’s party) has depicted the Catholic Church in a poor light in Madhya Pradesh.
The article, which appeared in the April issue of Charai Veti (walk along), alleged that nuns were being sexually exploited in the Church.
The Director General of Police Nanadan Dubey, the top most police official in the central Indian state, has directed a senior police official to probe the charges with immediate effect.
The direction came after a 10-member delegation headed by lay leader Richard James called on him and demanded action against editor Anil Soumitra, writer R L Francis and parliamentarian Sumitra Mahajan, who is the chairperson of the society that owns the magazine.
“The article in Hindi gives the impression that nuns in the Church were being sexually exploited and were denied their basic rights,” James told ucanindia.in It has lowered the dignity of the priests and nuns for no fault of them, he said.
The article quoted statements of some former nuns and complaints relatives of some nuns who have allegedly committed suicide to say that some nuns were sexually exploited in convents.
However, Francis, a Catholic, said that he stands by his article.
The narration of the article was properly quoted from the book of an ex-nun and other related documents available in public domain,” he said. The Church needs to do more to give the right place to nuns, he added.
He however said he did not supply the article to the magazine. He wrote in connection with the March 8 International Women's Day for a website, and the magazine must have picked it up form there, he said.
Meanwhile, Soumitra, the editor of the magazine, told ucanindia.in that views in the article are of the author and not of the publication.
Source : UCAN India
