Mumbai Rail Roko: Two arrested, 11 security personnel injured

MUMBAI: Police have arrested two persons in connection with the violent rail roko protest here on Tuesday morning.

A case has been registered on the same at Dadar Railway Police Station under section IPC 307, 353, 341, 342, 332, 323, 141 , 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, Railway act 152, 174, BP act 37(1),135.

Eleven security personnel were injured in stone pelting during the agitation of railway job aspirants here.

Among the injured, five are Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel and six are from Railway Protection Force (RPF).

Earlier in the day, Mumbai Railway traffic was affected after the students of the All India Act Apprentice Association staged a protest on the railway tracks between Matunga and Dadar station on the central line. Around 500 students staged a rail blockade demanding jobs in the railways sector.

After the strike, Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said in New Delhi that the agitated railway job aspirants have called off their protest.

Speaking to media, Goyal said, "Agitators have called off their protest and further discussions will be held."

Goyal further assured the protestors that the recruitment in the railways is underway at a large scale.

"Recruitment in Railways is underway at a large scale. On directives of the Supreme Court, Indian Railways has made a recruitment policy that is unbiased and transparent," he added.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis claimed that no rules have been changed for railway job aspirants, adding that 20 percent seats are reserved for apprentices but they are demanding more.