Candidates stage protest on railway track at Vijayapura against train delay
Over 1,000 candidates protesting a train delay blocked tracks to ensure they reached their police recruitment exam on time. Separately, police inspected a train following a false tip-off from a Hindutva organization regarding the presence of Bangladeshi nationals.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the high-stakes nature of competitive exams in India and the impact of communal tensions on public infrastructure and law enforcement.
Candidates travelling from Vijayapura to Tumakuru and Bengaluru protested on the railway track as the Vijayapura-Yeshwantpur train suffered technical glitches at Vijayapura on Saturday.
They were to write the police constable recruitment examination.
Sources in South Western Railway (SWR) said that the train was supposed to depart from Vijayapura at 1.50 p.m. but began its journey by 2.35 p.m. The locomotive engine developed faults at Ibrahimpur. An estimated 1,000 candidates were travelling on the train. Angered by the delay, they blocked the Basava Express coming from the opposite side and raised slogans against SWR.
The Railway Protection Force personnel tried to convince them but in vain.
The SWR officials arranged for an alternative locomotive and the train started after a delay of four hours. Candidates warned that if they lost the chance to appear for the examination, the SWR should bear the responsibility.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in