By India Today News Desk: Stones were thrown at the recently-launched Vande Bharat express in Kerala as the semi-high-speed train passed through Thirunavaya and Tirur in the state’s Malappuram district, reported news agency PTI, quoting the police.
Attackers pelted stones against the windows of seats 62 and 63 of the C4 coach. The Malappuram police have begun an investigation and are searching the area. The railway police will also register a case, the PTI report said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off Kerala’s first Vande Bharat train from the Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway station on April 25. There were protests by the United Democratic Front, an alliance in the state led by the Congress, seeking stops at the Tirur station in the Malappuram district.
Tirur was also on the list of stops in the first reports as soon as the Vande Bharat train was announced. Later, it was left out when Shornur was included.
Reacting to the attack, Kerala BJP chief K Surendran tweeted his strong condemnation of the incident and shared a video of the cracked windows of the train. “Strongly condemn the stone pelting against Vande Bharat Express in Malappuram. This incident is extremely unfortunate and brings shame to all of Kerala. From day one, there were vile objections from some quarters. The police should find the culprits and take strict action,” he wrote.
(With input from PTI)
