Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to take stern action against those responsible for the harassment of four nuns, including two postulants, by Bajrang Dal activists and the police at Jhansi while they were travelling by train from New Delhi to Rourkela in Odisha.
In a letter to Mr. Shah on Wednesday, the Chief Minister said the two postulants who had recently joined the Sacred Hearts Congregation, Delhi Province, were travelling for the first time to their homes accompanied by two nuns.
The nuns and the postulants were forcefully removed from the train by the Jhansi police without the presence of women police officials. The Aadhaar cards were not accepted by the police stating that they were fake. Mr. Vijayan said it was only after the matter was taken up with higher officials and after the intervention of IG, Lucknow, the nuns and postulants were released from the police station around 11 p.m.
“Such incidents tarnish the image of the nation and its ancient tradition of religious tolerance and practice. Such incidents require utmost condemnation by the Union government,” the Chief Minister said.
Mr. Vijayan asked the Union Home Minister to instruct the authorities concerned to take strict action on all groups and individuals who disrupted and impaired the freedom of individual rights guaranteed by the Constitution.