The Union Railways minister’s statement comes in the wake of railway job candidates going on a rampage in Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh over alleged irregularities in examinations of the Railway Recruitment Board (RRB).
Union Railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday asked job aspirants to not engage in the destruction of public property as the authorities will take due action on the basis of such acts which the government categorises as unlawful and are representative of the “highest levels of indiscipline”.
Urging the job aspirants to desist from vandalism and arson, Vaishnaw assured them of resolving all their grievances.
The Union minister’s statement comes in the wake of railway job candidates going on a rampage in Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh over alleged irregularities in examinations of the Railway Recruitment Board (RRB).
Following irregularities group of protesters in Bihar’s Gaya district set a bogie of the Bhabua-Patna Intercity Express on fire earlier in the day, police said.
This was followed by police opening tear gas to disperse the mob.
Following protest the minister said at a press conference. “I am telling the aspirants that this is their own property,”
Union Minsiter added “Why are they destroying something that is their own? However, the authorities will follow due process if public property is damaged.”
After residents’ protest, trains start stopping at Mustafabad railway station After residents’ protest, trains start stopping at Mustafabad railway station
Union Railways minister Vaishnaw said his ministry is in touch with chief ministers of the respective states and that the issue is being handled “sensitively”.
“I urge the candidates to put forth their grievances formally,” he was quoted as saying by the PTI news agency.
“Our intention is to resolve this issue quickly. A committee has been formed and it will examine representations by the candidates.”
On Tuesday, students who appeared for Railway Recruitment Board’s Non-Technical Popular Categories exam, 2021, had held a protest at the Bihar Sharif railway station alleging discrepancies in the results.
Hundreds of students had blocked the Kolkata-New Delhi main railway line at Rajendra Nagar Terminal in Patna during the agitation.
Later, the Union government said such protests on tracks and disruption of train operations will now be categorised under “unlawful activities” that may get one banned for life from obtaining railway jobs.
According to an official release issued by the ministry of railways, videos of such activities will be analysed by “specialised agencies” and can result in police action as well.
The railways ministry said that such activities include protesting on railway tracks, disruption of train operations, damaging railway properties, and the like.
The ministry also suspended on Wednesday the Non-Technical Popular Categories (RRB NTPC) and the Level 2 exams after additional reports of vandalism by job aspirants came to light from different parts of the country.
