Central line rail services were disrupted after angry Muslims resorted to a rail-roko in Mumbra to protest against a photograph carried in an English daily.
Rail services on the Central line were disrupted for over three hours on Sunday after angry Muslims resorted to a rail-roko in Mumbra to protest against a photograph carried in an English daily on Saturday. The photo showed a tattoo with Koranic verses on the bare back of a woman. The protestors alleged that the picture was an insult to Islam.
The protestors resorted to the rail-roko at noon. They initially disrupted rail services on the slow track and later blocked the fast track. The agitators also took to stone-pelting. A K Singh, public relations officer, Central Railway, said, “55 trains were cancelled due to the interruption caused by the rail-roko.” The fallout of the bandh was visible even in Mulund where, railway officials had to reimburse ticket charges to passengers because of the delay in trains.
The protests started as a spontaneous bandh around 10a.m. The agitators forcibly closed down shops. Private transport, including autorickshaws, kept off the road fearing that the situation would get worse. There were sporadic protests on Saturday. However, the demonstrations intensified on Sunday after local papers, including Urdu dailies, carried news of Saturday’s protests. An article, along with the picture in the middle of the controversy, that appeared in Mumbra Samachar was pasted on walls all over area.
Abdul Sheikh, a local, said, “They have hurt our religious sentiments. We will not take it lying down.” Police officials claimed that ordinary people from the streets had called for the bandh and that the protestors had no leaning towards any organisation. Thane DCP Madhukar Pandey said, “It is a sensitive issue. It was difficult to control and pacify the protestors since they did not belong to any particular organisation.”
Mumbra residents refused to accept the apology carried by the paper. S Ibrahim, another local, said, “This is like deliberately kissing a woman in a crowded street and then apologising to her. They have deliberately insulted our sentiments. An apology is of no use.” The protestors demanded that the photographer be arrested.
The protestors also vented their anger on presspersons. Ameen Ansari, president of Mumbra Kausa Journalists’ Association, said, “They destroyed my camera. I have filed a police complaint.”
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