West Bengal: Anti-CAA Protesters Obstruct Key Highways; 15 Trains Affected

Protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act continued in several parts of West Bengal on Sunday, for the third day at a stretch. The protesters took to the streets, they felled trees and burnt tyres to obstruct key national and state highways.

Howrah: Traffic jam at NH-6 during a protest against CAB and NRC in Howrah district of West Bengal, Friday, Dec. 13, 2019. (PTI Photo)

New Delhi: Protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act continued in several parts of West Bengal on Sunday, for the third day at a stretch. The protesters took to the streets, they felled trees and burnt tyres to obstruct key national and state highways. The protests have thrown railway services in jeopardy. EMU local train services on Howrah-Kharagpur section of South Eastern Railway resumed on Saturday evening after being stalled for 10 hours. The Eastern Railway has cancelled nine express and four long distance passenger trains which were scheduled to ply on Sunday. As many as 15 trains have been cancelled so far. The South Eastern Railway also cancelled one express and some passenger trains slated for the day. Some long distance passenger trains also suffered the same fate. Roads were blocked at several places in North 24 Paraganas,  and Murshidabad. At one place in 24 Parganas North district, protesters even started a 'picnic' on the National Highway 34 after putting up a roadblock. Protests also took place in Murshidabad and Birbhum districts. At Amdanga in 24 Parganas district, protesters staged a demonstration by felling a tree and torching tyres on the road at Sonadanga and Dhankal on National Highway 34. At Kamdevpur, the protesters first blockaded the highway and then started cutting and mincing vegetables and cooking on the road to start a picnic. The Kalyani Expressway was blockaded at Ruia Bakultala crossing under Kahardah police station, while demonstrators set ablaze tyres to block the Berachapa-Pritima crossing under Deganga police station. Watch: In Birbhum, demonstrators burnt tyres and blocked the Murarai-Raghunathganj state Highway at Hiyatnagar, and obstructed the road at Mitrapur. Carrying posters reading "No NRC, No CAA", protesters set up road blockades on Jangipur-Lalgola state highway at Kantakhali under Raghunathganj police station. The eastern state has been scalded by escalating violence against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) that began on Friday, and spread to more areas on Saturday. (inputs from agencies)