Piyush Goyal dismisses attack on Kerala nuns in UP; Alleges Kerala CM making 'false statements'

Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday dismissed the attack on nuns of the Sacred Heart convent under the Kerala-based Syro-Malabar church at Jhansi railway station in UP as false and alleged that Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan was making 'false statements' on the issue.

Addressing a press conference at Kochi, Goyal said, "There was no attack on any nun whatsoever...the Chief Minister of the state (Kerala) is completely lying and making false statements when he says that."

Justifying the police interrogation of the nuns, he said, "There was an allegation. Some people made a complaint (against the nuns). It is the duty of the police to find out whether the complaint is correct or wrong. Police made enquiries. Checked all their documents, made enquiries (to ensure) that they are genuine passengers going for the correct purpose and then immediately let them go." He further dismissed the allegations of the Sangh Parivar outfit bogging the nuns down as "absolutely wrong."

As per officials, the alleged incident took place on March 19 when police demanded the four women travelling to Odisha to get off the train at Jhansi station following a complaint by Hindutva group Bajrang Dal. As per reports, several men belonging to the Hindutva group heckled the women, the video of which was widely circulated on social media. The women were reportedly forced to get off the train at Jhansi and were taken into custody and later released when the police could not find anything to prove that the nuns were trying to forcefully convert their two accomplices.

Following the incident, CM Pinarayi Vijayan had written to the Home Minister Amit Shah seeking action against those "who disrupt and impair the freedom of individual rights". He had also alleged the UP government and the BJP and said, "All such illegal activities are taking place under the BJP government there. It should also be taken seriously that all this is happening on an uncontrolled scale."

Amit Shah in the state to campaign for the upcoming assembly polls had assured of action against culprits saying, "I want to assure the people of Kerala that the culprits behind this incident will be brought to justice at the earliest."