Activists of jat panel block Ferozepur-Delhi rail section

Lily

B.R
Staff member
Ferozepur March 8:

Hundreds of activists of the All-India Jat Reservation Struggle Committee today blocked the Ferozepur-Delhi rail section for four hours to press the Congress-led UPA government to accept their demand.

Following this, the Ferozepur railway division authorities had to cancel Ferozepur-Delhi, Jind-Ferozepur and Ferozepur-Jind passenger trains and the originating points and terminal points of some of the trains running on this section were also changed. The activists, led by its state president Karnail Singh Bhawrha, sat on the Ferozepur-Delhi rail section before noon and raised slogans against the Centre for denying them reservation in government jobs by including them in the OBC category despite recommendations made in the same by the Mandal Commission.

Due to the cancellation of the trains and change in the routes of other trains, hundreds of commuters faced difficulties to reach their respective destination. Punjab Police and GRP personnel, who were deployed near the venue of the agitation, also failed to persuade the protestors to lift the blockade. A senior functionary the Railways said the Centre must develop a strategy to deal with such kind of situation.

Bhawrha said though their organisation was not in favour of causing harassment to the people, they were compelled by the authorities concerned to resort to agitation, as they were being denied their rights for the past 17 years. He said had the members of the Jat community been included in the OBC category 17 years ago, the number of officers belonging to this community in the Central and state governments would have been much higher, he claimed, adding that the activists could disrupt rail traffic at the Bathinda junction or somewhere else in the state tomorrow. No case has been registered against any protester for disrupting rail traffic in this region.

 
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