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VCK stir hits train services

S. Vydhianathan

Protests against attacks on Sri Lankan Tamils

— Photo: R. Ravindran

SHOWING SOLIDARITY: VCK leader Thol. Thirumavalavan with party activists staging a rail roko in Chennai.

CHENNAI: Train services were disrupted in many places in Tamil Nadu on Thursday due to the rail roko by volunteers of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), protesting against the Sri Lankan Army offensive in northern parts of Sri Lanka and to express solidarity with the Sri Lankan Tamils.

An attempt was made to set Vaigai Express on fire at Tindivanam station. Stones were thrown by the party volunteers at the Dharmapuri station.

Barring these two incidents, no violent incident was reported in the State.

Suburban service

Mainline express and passenger trains were detained at 11 places in different parts of the State.

Suburban services were affected in the Chennai Central–Arakkonam/ Gummudipoondi sections, causing inconvenience to office and school-going commuters.

Arrested

More than 7,000 party activists were arrested by the police all over the State. Except those arrested on specific charges, others were released in the evening.

According to Railway Protection Force sources, party workers squatted on the track at Tindivanam as soon as the Chennai-bound Vaigai Express arrived at the station. A group of volunteers moved to the rear end of the train and tried to pour petrol on coaches.

This was immediately stopped by the police.

In Dharmapuri, five police personnel, including two sub-inspectors, were injured when some party activists threw stones at the railway station.

The activists managed to break the police cordon and got into the Lokmanya Tilak (Ernakulam-Kurla) Express train and pulled the alarm chain.

When police tried to chase them away, they threw stones at the police.

Diverted

At the Basin Bridge junction, volunteers led by their leader Thol Tirumavalavan squatted on the track for more an hour obstructing movement of both the main line and EMU services. Railway authorities diverted some of the EMU services to Beach.

The following trains were affected: the Kanyakumari – Nizamuddin Tirukkural Express, Chennai Egmore-Guruvayur Express, Tiruchi-Chennai Egmore Pallavan Express, Chennai-Puducherry Express, Madurai–Egmore Vaigai Express, Tamil Nadu Express, and Trivandrum Express. These trains were detained for 15 minutes to one hour, according to railway sources.

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