Violent clashes broke out in Andhra Pradesh on Sunday evening as members of the Kapu community went on a rampage demanding OBC status and reservations in state institutions.
The protests broke out mainly in the town of Tuni in East Godavari district.
Eight bogies of the Ratnachal express have been torched and train services have also been disrupted. However, timely intervention of railway officials ensured that no passenger suffered injuries in the incident, said Vijayawada Station Manager N Suresh Babu.
He said the agitators, gathered at Tuni to attend a public meeting addressed by their leader and ex-minister Mudragada Padmanabh, pelted stones at the train and attacked some police personnel, before ransacking the railway station.
The demonstrators also blocked portion of national highway 16, bringing vehicular traffic between Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada to a halt in afternoon.
According to a release issue by South Central Railway, Vijayawada-Visakhapatnam Ratnachal Express was stopped at 15.20 hours between Tuni and Hamsavaram railway stations on Rajahmundry - Visakhapatnam section of Vijayawada Division by 'Kapunadu Garjana' agitators who sat on the track, climbed on the locomotive and damaged hose pipe/ glasses of the locomotive.
The incident forced authorities to stop all trains running between Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada stations, causing a huge inconvenience to passengers.
Meanwhile, Padmanabh held Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu "responsible" for the situation.
"Chandrababu is solely responsible for present situation as he has driven Kapus to streets in frustration by giving them false promises of inclusion in BC category. Let the CM realise the gravity of the situation," Padmanabh said at the meeting.
Ahead of the 2014 state elections, TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu promised that he will ensure OBC status to Kapus if he became chief minister. The protest has also united the Opposition as the prominent Kapu leaders of the BJP, Congress, YSR Congress and TRS are also participating in the protest.
Comments
0 comment