BJP MP, workers arrested for damaging railway property
By IANSFriday, February 26, 2010
BHOPAL - A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and over 300 party workers were Friday arrested after they tried to set a train on fire and damaged property at Jabalpur railway station, alleging the city’s interests were overlooked in the railway budget, police said. All were later released on bail.
The violent workers were protesting extension of Jabalpur-Mumbai Garib Rath up to Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh and Jabalpur not getting a railway division status.
Government Railway Police (GRP) baton charged the workers to disperse them. More than a hundred protesters, led by BJP MP from Jabalpur Rakesh Singh, courted arrest against the move to extend Garib Rath’s run to Allahabad.
“Railway administration have lodged a case with the Government Railway Police (GRP), the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the state police against the persons who have caused damage worth over Rs.4 lakh to the railway property,” railway’s Chief Public Relation Officer Piyush Mathur told IANS on phone.
“Rakesh Singh and 334 workers were arrested and later released on bail,” said Jabalpur GRP Police Superintendant S.K. Pande.
