BENGALURU: In line with the massive ‘Rail Roko’ call issued earlier this week against the Supreme Court directive to Karnataka to release water to Tamil Nadu, Kannada groups are adamant to disrupt train services on Thursday. However, the Bangalore Railway Division says all trains will run with enhanced security. Kannada forums have called for ‘rail roko’ from 6am to 6pm in the state.
Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, Jai Karnataka, Vatal Kannada Paksha and Dr Rajkumar Fans Association are among the 800 Kannada organisations which will take part in the protest.
When asked about how they would breach the security cordon, Pravin Shetty of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike said, “Our men will position themselves inside trains and pull the emergency chains midway.” He also claimed that 5,000 activists will be in action in Bengaluru alone.
Senior Divisional Security Commissioner, Railway Protection Force, M Suresh, said railway stations will be barricaded. “Anyone attempting to create any problem will be booked under the Railways Act under Section 147 (Trespassing without permission of authorities), Section 145 (creating nuisance inside railway premises) Sec 146 (Not allowing a railway official to perform his duty) and Section 174 (Squatting on railway tracks).”
In addition to 100 RPF personnel, an equal number of Government Railway Police (GRP), the State Police and Railway Special Protection Force will be deployed in every railway station.
“In addition, we have Quick Response Teams. An RPF battalion has arrived from Hyderabad to support us. A huge number of RPF personnel have been deputed from Hindupur and Dharmapuri,” he said.
When asked about possible chain pulling, he said that even if a train is stopped, the lever outside a coach will be adjusted and the train will run within 4 or 5 minutes.
Divisional Railway Manager, Bengaluru Division, Sanjiv Agawal, said, “Anyone indulging in any miscreant activity will be booked. Videographers will record everything to serve as evidence.”
Meanwhile, Vatal Nagaraj, president of Kannada Okkoota, told Express that all Kannada forums will begin a protest march from Mysore Bank Circle at 10.15am and head to the KSR railway station.