Face off between Railways and Chamunda Devi temple management continues

Agra, April 29 (IANS) The anti-encroachment drive by the Railways has run into rough weather as Hindutva outfits in Agra have vociferously opposed the widening of platform number one at the Raja ki Mandi station.

Last week, the DRM office in Agra issued a notice to the management of the Chamunda Devi temple, which had encroached upon the railway land, to vacate so that the platform could be realigned.

The Raja ki Mandi station is sited in the heart of the city and most south bound trains from Delhi pass through this station. Almost every one hour there is a passenger train in addition to goods trains. The railway tracks take a sharp curve because of the temple. The railway officials say that due to the sharp curve speed has to be reduced and there is always a fear of avoidable accidents.

The dispute is over 70 metres of land towards platform number one.

The district officials including the district magistrate and senior police officials have visited the site and are trying to work out a solution.

Meanwhile, Hindutva leaders have sounded the warning bugle. One group threatened to lie on the tracks before running trains, another threatened to damage the tracks. BJP leader Shabana Khandelwal with scores of Muslims reached the temple on Friday to express solidarity with the temple management. Shabana said the temple was 150 years old and that she with her Muslim supporters would block the bulldozers.

The Railways have now issued a similar notice to a mosque in the Agra Cantt railway station premises.

The Railways divisional office authorities seem determined to go ahead with their plans. They said notices were issued and the concerned parties are expected to explain their positions by April 30.

One senior official said Raja ki Mandi railway station will be shut down if the opposition to free railway land from encroachments continued.

The railways are laying a third track on this vital trunk route, for which the station needs more land.