Four nuns were taken off an express train and detained for questioning by the railway police in Jhansi after local Bajrang Dal activists complained that two of the women were allegedly being taken forcibly for religious conversion, officials said on Tuesday.

The police said there was no basis in the complaint and all four women later took the next train to their destination in Odisha.

Following the ruckus created by local Bajrang Dal leader Ajay Shankar Tiwari along with the activists on March 19, the four nuns onboard the Utkal Express from Delhi to Rourkela were taken down from the train by the Government Railway Police (GRP) in Jhansi for questioning.

Circle Officer of GRP Naeem Ansari said the complainant had said that they (the women) were being taken, possibly for forcible religious conversion.

"However, during questioning, nothing as such came to light, and the four passengers were allowed to depart by the next train. No case has been registered in this regard," he said.

During questioning, it was revealed that nuns Libiya Thomas and Hemlata, both residents of Delhi's Vikaspuri, along with Sweta and B Tarang (both 19-years-old and natives of Odisha) were travelling in a sleeper coach of the Utkal Express.

SHO of GRP Jhansi Sunil Kumar Singh said no attack on the rail passengers emerged during the probe.

Taking a note of the incident, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was campaigning for the BJP in poll-bound Kerala, assured strong action against the accused.

Noting that UP was ruled by BJP government, Shah, while addressing a poll rally, said, "I want to assure the people of Kerala that the culprits behind this incident will be brought to justice at the earliest".

The issue was raised before Shah by the party's Kanjirappally Assembly candidate for April 6 polls, K J Alphonse, who is his former ministerial colleague in the union cabinet.

Rahul Gandhi condemns incident

Reacting to the alleged harassment, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said it was the result of the "vicious propaganda" run by the Sangh Parivar to pitch one community against another and "trample" upon the minorities.

"The attack in UP on nuns from Kerala is a result of the vicious propaganda run by the Sangh Parivar to pitch one community against another and trample the minorities," Gandhi said in a tweet.

"Time for us as a nation to introspect and take corrective steps to defeat such divisive forces," the former Congress chief said.