Railway agitation called off in TN

Chennai, Aug 25: Tamil Nadu Agriculture Minister Veerapandi S Arumugham today called off his rail roko agitation on the Salem Railway Division issue on the advice of DMK President and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi.

Exactly 150 minutes after he began the stir, along with 5000 of his supporters, MLAs and leaders of other parties at the Salem Railway Station by blocking the Gorakhpur-Trivandrum Rapthisagar express, Mr Arumugham announced that the agitation was called off.

After telephonic talks held by Railway Minister Lalu Prasad with Mr Karunanidhi, who in turn spoke to Mr Arumugham to call off the agitation.

Earlier, movement of trains to Kerala from Tamil Nadu side was affected as members under the banner of Salem Railway Division Protection and Struggle Coordination Committee staged a rail roko agitation this morning.

Tens and hundreds of people, including MLAs of various political parties and trade unions, blocked Kerala-bound trains at Salem, Tiruppur, Coimbatore, Pothanur and Irgur Railway stations.

UNI