“Shoot At Sight”: Union Minister Amid Citizenship Law Protest

Four days after people protesting the amendedCitizenship Act set fire to a railway station in Bengal's Murshidabad, a UnionMinister on Tuesday warned that anybody resorting to such acts would be shot atsight by the authorities.

Suresh Angadi, the Union Minister of State for Railways while quoted by news agency ANI said, "I have told the district administration and railway authorities concerned that if anybody destroys public property, they can be shot at sight. I am giving this directive as a Union Minister." 

The controversial statement comes amid nationwideprotests against the amended Citizenship Act, which aims to make it easier fornon-Muslim migrants from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh to becomeIndian nationals.

Protesters had set the Beldanga railways stationcomplex in Murshidabad afire on December 13, despite appeals for calm fromChief Minister Mamata Banerjee. They also assaulted Railway Police Forcepersonnel at the station. 

Angadi said that such violence cannot be condonedwhen the Railways already suffers major losses in West Bengal and theNortheast. He said that as many as 13 lakh employees work there day and nightto ensure that people have good transport facilities. But some anti-socialelements supported by the opposition are creating problems and demanded thatthe government should take stringent action against protesters like VallabhbhaiPatel would have.

Railway services between West Bengal and Northeastwere brought to a complete halt on Monday on account of ongoing agitations.Officials said all trains heading from Howrah, Sealdah and Kolkata stations tonorth Bengal have also been suspended until further notice, keeping in mind thesafety of passengers.

Earlier on Tuesday, as many as 17 Odisha-boundtrains were cancelled in view of the ongoing agitation.