10,000 protestors disrupt rail services

Mumbai: A group of protesters on Saturday blocked the railway tracks at Nalasopara station to protest against the terror attack in Pulwama that killed 40 CRPF personnel. The protestors got onto the tracks at around 8.20am and started raising slogans against Pakistan, the officials said, adding that train services on the route were affected due to the protest. This resulted in cancellation of 54 suburban trains and delay in 150 services on Saturday, causing hardships to the commuters.

According to the government railway police (GRP), around 600 people were on the tracks while 8,000 to 10,000 people were on the platforms. They demanded action against Pakistan for sponsoring and sheltering terrorists and terror groups. The train’s services were shut for around four hours. In several parts of Mumbai and Thane, shops were shut to protest Pulwama terror attack and schools held prayer meets as a mark of respect to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans who were killed on Thursday. Even a few Vasai civic buses were forced to halt at Virar.

A GRP official said that all of them were not protestors. As the train services were stopped for a while, daily travellers had also gathered on the platforms and on tracks. Besides this, stone pelting at trains was also reported at Nalasopara, which resulted into injuring around five to seven police personnel.

A Railway Protection Force (RPF) official said that the protestors gathered at Nalasopara railway station at 8.20am. In order to control the crowd and disperse them, the RPF staff of Virar, city police and GRP lathi-charged a group of protesters.   

According to the Western Railway (WR) officer, the services were operationalised around 1.00pm.

Rizwan Shaikh, a junior practicing advocate, who was travelling between Nalasopara to Churchgate said, “As I was heading towards Nalasopara railway station, I saw the agitators on the railway tracks between Nal-asopara and Virar station. The protestors including office goers had blocked the tracks around at 8.00am. A group of protestors were raising slogans of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and also against Pakistan. Due to this block, I couldn’t reach office on time.”

Purushottam Karad, DCP (WR) said that we have filed a case of unlawful assembly under section 141 and 145 of Indian Panel Code (IPC).

A total bandh was also observed in Mumbra city in Thane district. Shops in Tardeo, Grant Road, Haji Ali and Kalbadevi area of South Mumbai were closed down for the day. “We strongly condemn the horrendous terrorist attack in Pulwama. It is an act of cowardice. We have decided to keep our business shut for the day as a mark of respect for the 40 brave soldiers,” said Rajiv Singal, trustee of the Bharat Merchant Chambers. The Bombay Yarn Merchants’ Association and Exchange Limited also issued a press statement, in which it said that shops of their members were shut across the city.

Candle protest was organised near Bharat Talkies junction at Kurla west. On Friday, Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) had organised a candlelight protest march at the civic-run Sion Hospital.