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BJP demands nun's arrest for making false charge

Bibhuti Mishra in Bhubaneswar

Aira Kharavela Swain, the Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Balasore who had caused a furore by calling murdered Australian missionary Graham Stains a social criminal, is back in the news, this time demanding the arrest of the Catholic nun who had claimed to have been raped near Baripada.

Swain first made the demand soon after a medical report proved the nun's allegation false.

But with several days having passed without any action being taken, Swain is staging a dharna (sit-in) in front of the office of the Mayurbhanj district collector demanding the nun's immediate arrest.

Says Swain, "The nun's story has been proved to be a sham; but her allegation created havoc nationally and even internationally. It gave Orissa a bad name and there was talk of attacks on minorities. As per the law, when allegations are proved false, [the person making the allegations] should be punished. Why is that nun not being punished?"

The district administration, however, is of the view that since this is a sensitive issue, taking any step against the nun could prove dangerous.

The Orissa unit of the BJP supports Swain who plans to continue with his agitation till the nun is arrested.

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