A BJP legislator in Jharkhand and his supporters forcibly blocked the passage of several trains, including three Rajdhani Express trains, for over four hours on Monday morning to press for their demand for better passenger facilities at a small station.
Nearly 500 BJP supporters led by the party’s Barkatha MLA, Amit Kumar Yadav, sat on both the up and down tracks at Parsabad railway station in the northern Koderma district and brought the passage of all trains on the route to a standstill from 5 am to 9 am.
The New Delhi-Howrah, New Delhi-Sealdah and New Delhi-Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express trains were among a dozen trains that were held up at different stations due to the MLA’s agitation, said officials.
Neither the railway police nor the district administration authorities took any preventive action as the MLA and his supporters rushed into the Parsabad station premises, located in the MLA’s constituency, and sat on the tracks. Intervention came from the railway police only after some three hours even as passengers of the three stranded trains felt growing discomfort and uncertainty.
Mr Yadav, who had announced a 12-hour blockade of all trains on the route from 5 am to 5 pm, finally relented at about 9 am and then the trains began moving.
The MLA has been demanding the opening of a reservation counter at Parsabad station and stoppage of express trains such as the Mumbai-Howrah Express there.
Mr Yadav could not be reached for comment as his two mobile phones were switched off.
Sources said RPF divisional commander Shashi Kumar had asked for an FIR to be lodged against the BJP legislator and his supporters for “deliberately and violently halting three prestigious, important trains”. But no FIR was lodged till late in the evening.
As the blockade continued at Parasabad station in front of a stranded Sealdah Rajdhani, the Howrah Rajdhani stood at Sharmatand station and the Bhubaneswar Rajdhani at the Koderma station, said officials.
ENDS