Farmers' rail roko affects train movement in 130 locations

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha's six-hour 'rail roko' protest on Monday over the Lakhimpur Kheri violence affected 130 locations in the Northern Railway zone and hindered the running of 50 trains, said its chief public relation officer (CPRO).

In the North Western Railway (NWR), rail traffic was affected in some sections in Rajasthan and Haryana with two trains cancelled, 13 partially cancelled and one diverted due to the protest.

The trains that have been affected in the Northern Railway zone include the Chandigarh-Ferozepur Express. Its scheduled departure time from Ludhiana was 7am, but it has been stranded due to a blockade in the Ferozpur-Ludhiana section, the official said.

The New Delhi-Amritsar Shatabdi Express was halted near Shambu station as protestors blocked railway tracks near Sahnewal and Rajpura.

In Rajasthan, the agitation affected train movement in Hanumangarh and Sri Ganganagar of the Bikaner division.

Sources said rail traffic on Bhiwani-Rewari, Sirsa-Rewari, Loharu-Hisar, Suratgarh-Bathinda, Sirsa-Bathinda, Hanumangarh-Bathinda, Rohtak-Bhiwani, Rewari-Sadulpur, Hisar-Bathinda, Hanumangarh-Sadulpur and Sri Ganganagar-Rewari sections was affected due to the agitation.

The Bathinda-Rewari Special train and the Sirsa-Ludhiana Special train will remain cancelled on Monday, the spokesperson said, adding the route of Ahmedabad-Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Special train has also been changed. The train, which departed from Ahmedabad on Saturday, will run on the changed route via Rewari-Delhi-Pathankot to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra, the spokesperson said.

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of farmer unions spearheading the agitation against the Centre's three agri laws, had said "protests will be intensified until justice is secured" in the Lakhimpur Kheri case.

All train traffic will be stopped from 10am till 4pm on Monday during the 'rail roko' protest over the demand for the dismissal and arrest of Union Minister Ajay Mishra in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri case, the SKM had said. Ajay Mishra's son, Ashish Mishra, is accused of mowing down protestors.

Four of the eight people who died in the violence in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3 were farmers, allegedly knocked down by a vehicle carrying BJP workers. Angry farmers then allegedly lynched some people in the vehicles.

The other dead included two BJP workers and their driver.

Farmers have claimed that Ashish Mishra was in one of the vehicles, an allegation denied by him and Ajay Mishra who say they can produce evidence to prove he was at an event at that time.

Ashish Mishra was arrested in the case on October 9.