Jhansi: The Jhansi Railway Police in Uttar Pradesh have arrested two youths for allegedly heckling the nuns and forcing them to get off the train on allegations of forcing religious conversions.
The incident took place two weeks ago and the youths were arrested late on Thursday evening.
A statement from the Jhansi administration said, “In the case of forceful deboarding of nuns and teenagers from coach B-2 of Utkal Express at Jhansi railway station on 19 March 2021, the district administration and police administration have detained Anchal Arjaria and Purgesh Amaria for involvement in the incident. Against will be taken against others also.”
Anchal Arjaria is the president, Rashtra Bhakt Sangathan and Purgesh Amaria is the Secretary, Hindu Jagran Manch.
According to the Jhansi police spokesman, punitive action is being taken against them. Arjaria and Amaria were also planning a protest, accusing police of lack of action against the nuns.
It may be recalled that two nuns, Livia Thomas and Hemlata along with two girls, Shweta and Bitrang, were travelling to Rourkela from Delhi.
An ABVP leader Ajay Shankar Tiwari was also travelling in the next compartment. Seeing the nuns and the two girls, he informed Jhansi GRP about suspicion of religious conversion.
On reaching Jhansi all the four were deboarded and interrogated on the basis of Tiwari’s complaint for around three hours. The complaint was found baseless and all four were later allowed to leave.
The incident led to national outrage and Union Home Minister Amit Shah promised action in the matter.
A railway police official said on record last night the men had been arrested.
“Around 10 pm at night , a team of the railway police was carrying out a patrolling exercise at the Jhansi railway station when the were informed that two people had been discussing the March 19 incident and saying that the police did not act properly and let off the nuns. The men were questioned and the men got agitated and said they would plan a protest against the cops. This is why they have been arrested. The police has taken suo moto cognizance of this case and we will file an FIR and send them to jail,” Naeem Kham Mansoori, a senior official of the railway police, said.
Reports said the arrested men are affiliated to right wing groups in Jhansi.
The nuns and their two novices were heckled and forced to get off a train in Uttar Pradesh’s Jhansi by members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (who suspected them of conducting religious conversion) and people from other right wing groups on March 19. They were allowed to proceed only after an inquiry at the railway station established there was no conversion involved. The ABVP is the student’s wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the ideological mentor of the BJP.
The incident – which took place just ahead of polls in Kerala – had generated outrage. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had demanded strict action against the accused in a letter to Home Minister Amit Shah.
After outrage, Mr Amit Shah had promised action in the matter. “I want to assure the people of Kerala that the culprits behind this incident will be brought to justice at the earliest,” Mr Shah had said during a poll rally in Kerala.
Last week, Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal had dismissed as wrong the allegations that the nuns were “attacked” and alleged that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was “making false statements” on the issue.
“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,” Mr Goyal told a press conference in Kochi.
Report culled from various sources.
I fully endorse Our Holy Father’ initiative in the cases of sexual abuse of nuns and hapless minors.
Let’s all pray for God’s blessings for the success of Holy Father’s initiative.