Protesting against CAB bill, Muslim fringes in West Bengal vandalized railway stations, pelted stones at train

The Citizenship Amendment Bill created a stir throughout the nation. Violent protests by some Muslim protesters in West Bengal cause chaos. They have vandalized Railway station in Bengal in which the train driver reportedly was injured. 

Muslim fringes, agitating against the amended Citizenship Act, on Friday blocked tracks at the Uluberia railway station in West Bengal’s Howrah district, vandalized the complex and some trains, injuring a driver, officials said.

Violent agitation reached from Delhi to West Bengal to Assam leaving many people injured and some died. Injured people were rushed to the hospital. Some of them are in ICU while others are under normal conditions. 

The blockade started around 3:22 pm and train movements in both the up and down lines are affected, South Eastern Railway spokesperson Sanjoy Ghosh said.

The driver of the 12841 Howrah-Chennai Coromandel Express was injured as agitators hurled stones at the train, he said.

Anti-CAB protesters vandalized platforms of the station and an empty rake of the Humsafar Express was also damaged, he said.

“No passenger was injured in the incident, as per initial reports,” Ghosh said, adding that the railways have sought the assistance of the state government to deal with the situation.

The Howrah-Kharagpur section of the South Eastern Railway is affected due to the blockade and several trains, including some suburban locals and the 22897 Howrah Digha Kandari Express are stuck, he said.

Thousands of people from the Muslim group also blocked the National Highway 6 in the area.

Meanwhile, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee reviewed the situation of law and order in the state as several people staged protests against the amended Citizenship Act. To review the situation, Mamata Banerjee held a meeting with Bengal DG, ADG, and top other officials. CM Mamata Banerjee slammed the Centre for bringing in the amendment to the Citizenship Act.

“When the house is on fire, one must not consider religion. CAB is torture upon humanity and also on the poor people. They consider the poor people to be a fool. We stand by the poor, farmers and workers,” she said.

Meanwhile, Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar has appealed to everyone to maintain peace and calm.

On the other hand, the bill has been welcomed by all Hindus and Sikhs. Specially Kashmiri pandit are celebrating happiness after the bill is passed. They said Many Hindus and Sikhs came to India during the partition of India but they have not got Indian citizenship so far. Now, this bill will ensure their citizenship. The act allows minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan to apply for Indian citizenship who came to India before 2014.

Writer, historian, and activist Dharam Sikarwar is a very active author The Youth. He writes on national and international issues, environment, politics. He is an avid book reader as well.