Government Determined to Crush Rail Roko
Serving a clear warning to Telangana activists ahead of their proposed rail-roko programme, the state police and the Railway Protection Force on Monday asked the Telangana agitators not to cause disruption of train services or damage to railway property during the three-day protest. Agitators, their abettors and even organisers who do not directly participate in the protests on railway tracks will be dealt with severely and booked under stringent sections of the Railway Act unlike in the past when they were let off after being taken into preventive custody.
Two days ahead of the agitation, additional director- general of police (law & order) SA Huda, additional DGP (railways) VSK Kaumudi and RPF chief security commissioner B Mohan appealed to the agitators not to do any thing that causes inconvenience to people and disruption of normal life. “Consider the difficulties of the common man, a patient, a student or an elderly person, and don’t cause inconvenience to them. We appeal to the agitators to go slow on the issue,’’ Huda said. Huda’s appeal, however, looked more like a warning. “During the rail rokos of the past, the one-day protest in July and the two-day blockade in September, we registered cases under Section 151 (preventive custody) against the agitators.
This time, we will register cases under various sections of Railway Act which attract punishment ranging up to life imprisonment,’’ Huda warned. The punishment will be more severe to those against whom cases had already been registered for participating in similar agitations in the past. The Railway Board had refused to withdraw the earlier cases registered against agitators, he said. Apart from the stringent sections of the Railway Act, cases will be registered under the Indian Penal Code and Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. The police also warned leaders/ organisers or instigators of a similar action. “It is not that those who sit in offices and incite people will be let off. They will also be booked,’’ he said. Sensitive areas have been identified by the local police, GRP, RPF and intelligence agencies.
Joint forces of RPF, GRP, local police and commandos of RPF will also be on board. “The issue reached the Centre and all the departments concerned are coordinating to keep things as normal as possible,’’ he said. Asked how the police, who failed to prevent attacks on buses in Nalgonda district, could ensure smooth running of trains, Huda said they had to maintain restraint sometimes. “We don’t want a situation like Jalianwalabagh. We don’t want to use weapons,’’ he said but, at the same time, assured people of safety. “The situation will not go to the extent of firing.’’ The additional DGP, however, did not spell out the number of securitymen to be deployed but said directorgeneral of police V Dinesh Reddy was in touch with higher authorities to get additional paramilitary forces. A joint control room will be set up and a dry run of tracks will be held a day before the rail blockade is to begin