In an operation conducted with clockwork precision at Ahmednagar, officials of Indian Railways and the Railway Protection Force shunted a special train carrying BJP Yuva Morcha activists from Karnataka for their proposed “Ekta Yatra” culminating on January 26 in Srinagar back to Karnataka, without their knowledge.
It was only when the train reached the Maharashtra-Karnataka border that the activists realised that they had literally been taken for a ride. The activists were heading to New Delhi and then to Jammu and Kashmir to join the “Ekta Yatra” and hoist the tricolour at Lal Chowk in Srinagar on Republic Day.
In what seems a deliberate measure to stop the activists, the government decided to take preventive action in Maharashtra itself. The Bengaluru-New Delhi Karnataka Express, carrying around 1,500 activists, arrived at Sarola railway station in Ahmednagar at around 1.30 am on Sunday.
As soon as the train arrived at the station, officials blackened the station premises. Subsequently, the train’s engine was detached and attached to the rear of the train to change its route. Two more bogies, carrying 200 RPF men as a precautionary measure should the activists create trouble, were attached to the train. A large number of RPF personnel were also deployed at the railway station premises.
After halting for about an hour at Sarola railway station, the train then started its journey in the reverse direction via the Akalkot-Gulbarga-Wadi route. Most of the BJP activists, who were fast asleep, realised what had happened only while they were on their way back and halted the train at Nagansur station on the Maharashtra-Karnataka border.
“This was done as a safety measure,” said divisional commercial manager B.L. Kori of Solapur division. “We were instructed to do certain things and it was not our decision to take such a measure,” said a high-ranking RPF officer, refusing to elaborate.
The Jammu and Kashmir government on Thursday had announced that it would not allow the “Ekta Yatra” as it would vitiate the atmosphere. “We condemn the government’s move to suppress the sentiments of the people. The activists were heading towards Srinagar in order to hoist our national flag. The government should either declare that hoisting our flag is a crime or clear its stand on it,” said BJP Maharashtra spokesperson Madhav Bhandari.