Palakkad (Keralam), Oct 15 (PTI): BJP and Congress workers were involved in a minor tussle over claiming credit for the Railway’s decision to provide a stoppage for the Bengaluru-Ernakulam Junction train at Ottappalam railway station here, prompting police to intervene on Thursday, officials said.
The Railways recently announced that the Bengaluru-Ernakulam intercity train would stop at Ottappalam railway station.
When the train arrived at the platform for its maiden stoppage, a large number of BJP and Congress workers gathered to welcome it, police said.
BJP workers claimed that the stoppage was granted following a request by party state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar, while Congress workers credited the intervention of Palakkad MP V K Sreekandan. Workers from both parties raised slogans in support of their leaders and waved party flags as the train arrived, police said.
Leaders of both parties, including Sreekandan, entered the locomotive cabin and greeted the loco pilots, officials said.
The tussle between the workers affected the train’s departure, prompting police to intervene and move both groups away before the train left the platform.
Addressing the gathering later, Sreekandan said he had been raising the demand at meetings with Union ministers and railway authorities.
He alleged that the BJP, despite being in power at the Centre for the past 12 years, had failed to secure the stoppage earlier.
Flex boards claiming credit for the train stoppage were also put up by both parties near the railway station, officials added.
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