Piyush Goyal's remarks on nuns "shameful", says Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday dubbed as "shameful" and "utter lie" Union Minister Piyush Goyal's dismissal as "wrong" the reports that two nuns and two postulants belonging to a Kerala-based congregation were attacked during a train journey in UP recently.

Vijayan's reaction comes a day after the Union Minister had rejected the charge that the nuns and two others were "attacked" in Jhansi by some Bajrang Dal activists and said the Kerala CM was "making false statements" on the issue.

Responding to the remarks, Vijayan said according to the Union minister, the nuns were not attacked and were let off after their travel documents were inspected and that the attackers were ABVP (Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad) workers was an allegation of the state government.


"They (nuns) had been attacked in a country, where one has all the rights to travel freely, for the sole reason that they were nuns.

The action is shameful. He has justified the action of ABVP activists against the Nuns and two others.

A union minister is justifying the attack on the nuns, which is evidence of the RSS agenda being implemented by the Centre," Vijayan told a press conference at Kasaragod.

Pinarayi Vijayan also referred to the attack on members of the minority community in the name of beef.

"There was a lot of protest across the country against the attack on Muslims in the name of beef.

Have they changed? No. When they found some nuns, they attacked them.."

Goyal was justifying the attack, he said adding this shows that the minorities and those who want democracy in this country were not safe under the central rule which is implementing the RSS agenda.

Vijayan said an attempt was being made to "cover up" for the culprits.

Earlier, it was lynching in the name of beef, he said adding secular forces will fight them.

Kerala will be in the forefront.