UP nun attack case: Shah assures strict action

Jhansi: Members of the right-wing Bajrang Dal who allegedly attacked and forced two nuns and two novices to get off a train in Jhansi district, are now caught amidst a major controversy, IANS reported.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday assured that strict action would be taken against all those involved while addressing an election rally.

"Our government is always concerned about the minority communities and I assure you that there will be strict action against those who harassed the nuns in Uttar Pradesh," Shah said.

He also remarked that the state government in Uttar Pradesh is one of the strongest governments in the country where the rule of law is imposed strictly. "I assure all of you that all those who are guilty of harassing the nuns would be brought before the rule of law and the maximum punishment would be given," Shah further added.

The Kerala unit of the BJP had given a memorandum on the harassment suffered by the nuns to Shah when he arrived in the state last night for Wednesday's day-long election campaign.

Shah's announcement came after Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan wrote to the MHA seeking strict action in the matter.

On March 19, the Bajrang dal members had attacked the the nuns and novices accusing them of religious conversions.

The four were allowed to proceed only after an inquiry at the railway station established there was no conversion involved.

According to reports, the incident took place last week when the nuns were travelling on the Haridwar-Puri Utkal Express.

The four Christian ladies were travelling from Hazrat Nizamuddin in Delhi to Rourkela in Odisha while the incident happened where the right winh members suspected that these two nuns were taking the other two women for conversion because the nuns were speaking to the other ladies.

A 25-second video from the train compartment shows the women surrounded by some men, some of whom appear to be policemen.