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DYFI activists storm Palakkad DRM office over rail division split
Activists of the CPI(M)'s youth wing, DYFI, scaled the wall and entered the compound of the Divisional Railway Manager's office in Palakkad on Monday to protest the bifurcation of the Palakkad Railway…
Activists of the CPI(M)'s youth wing, DYFI, scaled the wall and entered the compound of the Divisional Railway Manager's office in Palakkad on Monday to protest the bifurcation of the Palakkad Railway Division. Police and Railway Protection Force personnel had stopped the marchers at the gate, but some climbed the wall and staged a sit-in, raising slogans. Additional forces were deployed to prevent them from entering the building.
The protest targets the Railway Board's decision to move stations including Mangaluru to the Mysuru division, which opponents say will hit revenue from goods traffic through Mangaluru port. The Youth Congress has announced its own protest in Palakkad, and Congress MPs plan a hunger strike in front of the railway office on Onam day. BJP leaders in Kerala have defended the decision, saying it will not hurt railway development in the state.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The Palakkad division is one of the oldest in Southern Railway and handles freight revenue from Mangaluru port, a major gateway for Kerala-bound goods. The bifurcation shifts about 200 km of track and stations to Mysuru, reducing the division's jurisdiction and its revenue base. With state and national elections approaching, the issue has become a political flashpoint: the Left government and Congress oppose the move, while the BJP backs it. The next signal to watch is the hunger strike planned for Onam day, which will test public support for the protests.
Source: indiatoday.in
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
