Rail traffic hit due to protests over Sajjan Kumar's acquittal

AMRITSAR/LUDHIANA: Rail traffic was today disrupted for several hours this morning as activists of various Sikh outfits squatted on tracks to protest the acquittal of Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in an anti-Sikh riots case.

Prominent trains hit due to the protests included Shatabadi Express, Amritsar-Sehrsa Express, Jammu-Chennai Express, New Delhi-Amritsar Superfast, Chhatisgarh-Amritsar Express, Howrah-Amritsar Express and Amritsar-Mumbai Paschim Express, railway sources said.

The protesters jointly led by SGPC member Gurinder Pal Singh Gora and Sikh Student Federation (Mehta) district president Surinder Pal Sandhu blocked Ravi Express at Batala Railway Station for an hour, officials said.

In Ludhiana, members of Sikh Danga Peerat Society and All India Sikh Student Federation Federation sat on dharna on railway lines, paralysing rail traffic on main line towards Delhi and Amritsar for around six hours, officials said.

They warned that if the government failed to take appropriate steps to ensure punishment for the culprits, the agitation would be further stepped up in coming days.

The main Ludhiana Delhi rail route remained suspended for four hours.

Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) president Avtar Singh Makkar also addressed the protesters.