Kolkata: A large number of stranded passengers with uncertainty to reach their destination was seen at Howrah station on Saturday evening after at least 13 trains were cancelled due to protest against the Central government’s Agnipath scheme.
Several passengers who visited Bengal as tourists now are praying to reach back home as most of them even claimed that they are running out of money. Some passengers are staying at the station from Friday after their trains got cancelled.
Ved Choubey, a resident of Ranchi visited Bengal to see Darjeeling but cannot return back home after most of the trains travelling to Jharkhand and Bihar were called off due to the protest against Agnipath.
“Maybe there is a need to protest against the scheme, but certainly not by damaging public property and harassing common people. We need to go back to Ranchi but since Shatabdi along with most of the trains are cancelled I don’t know when I can get back,” said Choubey.
After all the waiting rooms were filled with passengers, several of them were also seen waiting outside the Ganga ghats for their trains to resume.
Earlier this day, train services in Sealdah main station were stopped after protesters with ‘Boycott Agnipath’ posters blocked railway tracks at Barrackpore in North 24 Parganas. After a scuffle with police and common people, the protestors were removed following which the train services were resumed.
“After four years of service, what security will I have to earn me and my family’s livelihood? This scheme should be withdrawn or else we might go for bigger agitation,” said the protestors along with ‘anti-BJP’ chants.
According to a GRP official, due to the Agnipath protest railway services were affected during office hours, and many commuters waiting at Barrackpore Railway Station also reached the protest site to talk with the protestors.
DYFI activists were also seen protesting at West Burdwan demanding immediate withdrawal of the Agnipath scheme.
Police were seen patrolling at Bankura Railway station along with railway police so that no untoward incidents are reported.
On Friday, protests were also seen in front of the house of MoS Shantanu Thakur at Thakurnagar along with Purulia, Siliguri and Howrah.
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