Five cops, scribe hurt in Rajkot migrant fury

RAJKOT: Demanding trains to return to their natives, thousands of migrant labourers resorted to violence and vandalism near industrial clusters of Shapar and Veraval adjoining Rajkot city on Sunday, leaving five policemen and a journalist injured.
While senior police officials said that the migrants were fuming after cancellation of Shramik Special train to Bihar, the Western Railway officials stated that no train had been cancelled or rescheduled on Sunday.Parameshwar Funkwal, divisional railway manager, Rajkot division, said that all the trains requested by the district administration have been scheduled and dispatched without any exceptions.
The pandemonium broke out at around 9am after the migrants who had gathered at a big ground near Field Marshal company at night and were supposed to be taken in buses to the railway station.
Angry over lack of proper communication from the district authorities, the migrants then blocked the crucial Rajkot-Gondal highway by placing big stones. Soon, many of them started targeting the trucks, small four-wheelers and buses passing on the road, breaking wind shields of at least 15 vehicles.