Police injured as Amritsar tragedy protesters take to stone-pelting

Protests staged by residents here against the Punjab government and the railways after 59 people were killed when a train crushed them as they were watching Dusshera celebrations, turned violent on Sunday leaving a few policemen injured following stone-pelting.

The injured policemen, including Punjab Police commandos, were rushed to a government hospital for treatment.

Police officials said that reinforcements were rushed to the area near the Joda Phatak (railway gate) where the situation turned violent on Sunday afternoon.

Residents of the area indulged in stone pelting on the police when the latter tried to remove them from the railway tracks where the tragedy occurred on Friday evening.

The protestrers were demanding action against organisers of the Dusshera function near Joda Phatak for which hundreds of people had gathered to see the burning of the Ravan effigy.

The people were watching the proceedings from the live railway tracks when the Jalandhar-Amritsar DMU (diesel multiple unit) train crushed them.

The angry residents blocked traffic from crossing the Joda Phatak (railway gate) to show anger against the authorities not bothering about the families who had lost their loved ones, including women, children and youth.

Plying of trains on this section was stopped since Friday evening.

Family members of the train tragedy victims said that Punjab cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu and his wife Navjot Kaur, who was the chief guest at the Dusshera function on Friday, had not even bothered to meet them despite their loss.

The Punjab government on Saturday ordered a magisterial probe into the train tragedy.

The railways said it was not responsible for the tragedy.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has ordered a magisterial probe into the incident, including finding out if mandatory permissions for holding the function were given.

Opposition Shiromani Akali Dal demanded that a case of murder be registered against the organisers, who were mostly ruling Congress leaders.

--IANS

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