West Bengal: Nine trains cancelled on December 17 amid anti-CAA and NRC protest

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Kolkata: The CPRO Eastern Railways informed on Monday that nine trains have been cancelled for Tuesday (December 16) in the state. The move comes in view of the ongoing agitation and law and order problem on New Farakka–Azimganj section of Malda Division of Eastern Railway and in Northeast Frontier Railway system.  

Earlier, the agitators vandalised several railway stations and even tried to dismantle railway tracks. On Sunday (December 15), railway services were also put on hold at South 24 Parganas situated Diamond Harbour where the TMC workers initiated 'Rail Roko Andolan' protest to show disagreement towards the Act. Trains were cancelled in the Howrah-Kharagpur railway section of South Eastern Railway. 

According to information shared by the railway authority, a total of 15 trains, including the Howrah Express from Tirupati and Ernakulam, were cancelled, while 10 trains, including the Shalimar Express from Tiruvananthapuram, were partially cancelled following the agitation on Sunday (December 16). Oncoming trains from Puri, Odisha were also cancelled on Monday.

The train movements were stopped at Jangipur, Mahipal and other railway stations nearby, on December 14. Trains services between Lalgola and Palasi were cancelled as the protestors torched down a ticket counter at Sakrail railway station. Places like Jalangi, Raghunathganj, Sahmserganj, Kandi, Baharampur and Domkal had maximum effect of the protest where the normal life came to standstill because of the protest. 

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee led a massive protest march in Kolkata with her party workers and said, ''I was alone once against NRC. But today, Delhi's CM, Bihar's CM, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Kerala are also against it. I have asked them to not allow the Citizenship Amendment Act too.'' She further dared the Centre to dismiss her government and declared that the law would be enforced in Bengal 'only over her dead body'.  

The CAB became the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 on November 12, following approval from President Ram Nath Kovind. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act seeks to grant Indian citizenship to refugees from Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian communities fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh and who entered India on or before December 31, 2014.

(With agency input)