BJP protests step motherly treatment by Railways

Udupi, Oct 13(UNI) Activists of District unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today staged a 'Rail Roko' agitation and stopped the Mumbai bound Mathsyagandhi Express here for over 20 minutes in protest against alleged step motherly attitude of the Union Railways Ministry.

The agitating BJP activists, led by Lok Sabha member Manorama Madhwaraj and former Karnataka minister for Medical education Dr V S Acharya and three legislators, participated in the agitation.

They also raised slogans against Railway authorities and courted arrest.

The agitating BJP leaders alleged that the centre was adopting step motherly treatment toward the people of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts. The Mangalore-Mumbai Mathsyagandhi express was extended to Thiruvananthapuram at the cost of the commuters of the two districts while Mangalore-Mumbai Janashatabdi express was curtailed to run between Mumbai-Madagaon in Goa.

They also alleged that the Railway authorities were also adopting anti-Kannada attitude by not including Kannada language for writing messages in express trains between Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram.

Warning that people of the two districts would not tolerate such an attitude, the BJP leaders urged the Railway authorities to set things right immediately.

UNI