Horrified passengers tweet for help
New Delhi, April 2: A section of passengers had a harrowing time on Monday as dalit protesters blocked trains at several places, squatted on tracks and “uprooted” them, affecting not less than 100 trains, officials said.
Those who witnessed the violence first hand through their train coaches’ windows made fervent appeals for help to the railway ministry using social media sites.
More than 100 trains were affected due to the protests, and those on board, who had no way to get to their destinations, expressed helplessness and fear through tweets.
“It is horrifying when you are inside your train to reach your destination for regular business, and outside you see is some hooligans thinking they can do a better job by standing against the judiciary. Stop violence. Protest peaceful. #BharatBandh,” tweeted Gagan Bajaj this afternoon, from inside his train stopped by protestors.
Along with the tweet, he posted a video captured from the train showing a mob creating a ruckus on the platform.
Bajaj and several other passengers have been tweeting since morning appealing to Railway Minister Piyush Goyal to intervene.
“Urgent help needed.!!!!! #BharatBandh, #KarnatakaExpress No food. No water. No electricity. Protestors sitting on tracks. Threatening to burn train,” tweeted Nikita, who was on board the Karnataka Express, which she said was stuck in Agra for three hours. Another passenger, Om Prakash, who was on the same train, too tweeted about the lack of food, water and power supply.