ABVP condemns the DMK Government’s appeal to Supreme Court against CBI inquiry in #JusticeForLavanya case
Press Conference by Ms Nidhi Tripathi after visiting Ms Lavanya’s family
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) strongly condemns DMK government’s appeal to Supreme Court against CBI inquiry in Ms. Lavanya’s suicide case.
ABVP feels that the DMK led government has betrayed the sentiments of bereaved family members by opposing the Madras High Court – Madurai Bench’s order to handover the investigation of the Ms Lavanya suicide case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) by appealing against it in the Supreme Court. This in itself is an unprecedented step by a popular government going against the High Court judgment in a case relating to Women and Child.
The National General Secretary (of ABVP) Ms Nidhi Tripathi led delegation visited family members of Ms M Lavanya along with National Secretary, Shri Muthuramalingam and State Secretary – South Tamil Nadu, Ms T Susila on Thursday.
The delegation found it atrocious on part of the DMK party leadership to have totally ignored the family of their own cadre, as evident from the conversation with Shri Muruganandham (Ms M Lavanya’s father). Shri Muruganandham happens to be an active worker of Dravida Munetra Kazhagam (DMK) but still no functionary has visited his family even to pay condolences.
Demanding thorough enquiry and filing of the criminal charges against the two nuns and the evangelical institution for forcing Ms Lavanya to covert leading to her suicide further resulting in her death, ABVP has been protesting across the state of Tamilnadu as well as district centres and State capitals across India demanding justice to Ms Lavanya’s memory.
The death by suicide of Ms Lavanya M, a 17-year-old student in a Christian Missionary School at Michaelpatti of Thanjavur District of Tamil Nadu, is most unfortunate and has moved whole student community of our country. Her confession video on the death bed has shocked the entire nation. The video of the minor Girl circulated on social media clearly stated the tortures she faced at the hands of a nun sister – Ms. Sagaya Mary attempting to convert her religion forcefully. She also said that in the same school, another nun sister – Ms. Rachel Mary
had asked her parents for religious conversion to aid further studies a few times in the past two years.
The incident calls for action, but the Mr Stalin led government has been dormant. Rather two minster of the ruling Tamilnadu government openly refused and denied the conversion charges even before any preliminary investigations.
Taking into cognizance of the mentioned facts, ABVP understands that the investigation by the Tamilndu Police in the case cannot bear any fruits of justice to the case and now, while being thankful to the Hon’ble Madras High Court, the CBI shall be able to conduct a timebound inquiry to facilitate speedy justice to the family of Ms Lavanya and to her memory seeking just solution in the matter of forceful conversion.
Hence, the ABVP presents following demand for #JusticeForLavanya cause:
- The DMK led government should stop harassing family of Ms Lavanya by maligning the very fabric of our family system.
- The prejudiced DMK leadership should come clear of appeasement politics and missionary pressures and should acknowledge the statement of Ms Lavanya in reference to the forceful conversion.
- ABVP demands that the Tamilnadu government should take immediate action against all evangelical intuitions to stop religious propaganda and forceful conversion by harassing minor students of other faiths which is in violation to the Constitution of India.
- ABVP demands Government of India to take actions against academic institutions promoting institutional evangelism.
- ABVP demands National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and National Commission for Women (NCW) to take stringent action against the harassment, forceful conversions across evangelical institutions and in particular to the Ms Lavanya’s suicide case.
- Demands TN government to promulgate the Law Against Forceful Conversion