RailEnquiry

ALLAHABAD: Tension gripped Chota Baghara locality near Prayag railway station under Colonelgunj police station on Saturday afternoon when railway authorities along with GRP personnel used force to stop some construction work on a makeshift temple situated close to railway tracks.This was protested by temple priest and volunteers of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) who staged a dharna on the railway track, forcing GRP personnel to resort to a mild lathicharge to disperse the protestors. The VHP leaders however accused the railway authorities of trying to demolish the temple and removing the idols from the spot.According to reports, a small temple existed near Prayag railway station level crossing where locals performed puja. On Saturday afternoon, railway officials along with GRP personnel reached the spot and asked the priest to refrain from undertaking any new construction at the temple. The team also chopped down the branches of a banyan tree underneath which the makeshift temple is housed.In the meantime, VHP leaders including Acharya Kushmuni and others reached the spot and entered into heated arguments with the railway staff and GRP personnel. The VHP leaders and volunteers thereafter sat on a dharna on the railway tracks forcing the police to resort to a mild canecharge to disperse the unruly crowd, after which the situation was brought under control.

Circle officer (CO) GRP, OP Singh told TOI, "Since the temple is constructed illegally on railway land, it was imperative on our part not to allow any further construction. This perhaps angered the protestors who were desperate to occupy the piece of land on the pretext of undertaking fresh construction for the temple."

On the other hand, VHP leaders accused the railway authorities of acting in an arbitrary manner and resolved to intensify the agitation.