KINADA/VIJAYWADA/HYDERABAD: The stir by Kapu community members seeking reservation under Backward Class category turned violent on Sunday with agitators setting four coaches of Ratnachal Express on fire at Tuni railway station in East Godavari district, disrupting train movement on the Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam section. However, timely intervention of railway officials ensured that no passenger suffered injuries in the incident, said Vijayawada station manager N Suresh Babu. He said the agitators, gathered at Tuni to attend a public meeting addressed by their leader and ex-minister Mudragada Padmanabh, pelted stones at the train and attacked some police personnel, before ransacking the railway station. The demonstrators also blocked portion of national highway 16, bringing vehicular traffic between Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada to a halt in afternoon. Plans of a roadblock till 4pm on Monday however, was called off by former MP of Kakinada, Mudragadda Padmanabam. According to a release issued by South Central RAccording to a release issued by South Central Railway, Vijayawada-Visakhapatnam Ratnachal Express was stopped at 1520 hours between Tuni and Hamsavaram railway stations on Rajahmundry - Visakhapatnam section of Vijayawada Division by 'Kapunadu Garjana' agitators who sat on the track, climbed on the locomotive and damaged hose pipe/glasses of the locomotive. The incident forced authorities to stop all trains running between Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada stations, causing a huge inconvenience to passengers. South Central Railway CPRO M Umashankar Kumar said, "After the passengers in the coaches got down from the train, four coaches were set on fire. However, passengers are safe". The agitators also damaged police vehicles in the area and seHYDERABAD: Violent protests were witnessed in Andhra Pradesh this evening by members of the Kapu community, who are demanding reservation and Backward Caste status. The protesters blocked the National Highway 16, set on fire at least two police stations, 25 vehicles and eight bogies of a train in East Godavari district. The passengers of the Ratnachal Express were unharmed. But 15 policemen have been injured in the violence -- two of them seriously. Since afternoon, all trains between Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam and the vehicular traffic on Chennai-Kolkata national highway came to a halt due to the protests. According to officials, 27 trains were stopped in the region. The violence started around 3 pm, during a massive public meeting organised by Kapu State Committee at Tuni -- a town around 100 km from Visakhapatnam. The protestors marched towards the track and stopped the Visakhapatnam-Vijayawada Ratnachal Express. They ordered the passengers to get off and set eight compartments on fire. They also set fire to a police station in Tuni, where five policemen were injured in the stone pelting. Later, they ransacked the Tuni railway station. Four railway employees were injured. Additional forces were rushed to the region and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu called an emergency meeting. After the meeting, Mr Naidu said, "I am fully committed to Kapu reservation but I can't issue government order that won't stand scrutiny in court, that can't be implemented." Mobile and internet services have been temporarily blocked by the administration to control the agitation. Kapus comprise one of the biggest groups in the state -- an estimated 27-30 per cent of the population, who are currently seen as OC or Other Caste. Actor-turned -political activist Pawan Kalyan is believed to have brought the Kapu vote to the party.

• published: 31 Jan 2016
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