'If anybody destroys railway property shoot them at sight': Railway minister

Hubli: Amid protests in several parts of the country over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Union Minister of State (MoS) Railways, Suresh Angadi on Tuesday warned the concerned district administration and railway authorities to 'shoot' at sight if anybody destroys the public property.

"I strictly warn concerned district administration and railway authorities, if anybody destroys public property, including railway, I direct as a Minister, shoot them at sight", Angadi told news agency ANI while replying to a question regarding the railway facing losses in West Bengal and other states due to the ongoing protests in the region.

The minister further asserted that it is taxpayers' money and to develop one train it takes years together.

"If anybody throws stones at that time government should take stringent action like Vallabhbhai Patel. Local minorities, some communities are unnecessarily creating problems to destabilise the country's economy," he added.

Protests are being witnessed across the country over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

Eastern Railway on Tuesday cancelled as many as 19 trains due to the ongoing unrest across the country over the newly-enacted Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.

"In connection with law and order problem in the jurisdiction of Northeast Frontier Railway and in New Farakka-Azimganj and Krishnanagar-Lalgola Sections of Eastern Railway, 19 trains have been canceled for today," Public Relations Officer of Eastern Railway said in a release.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act seeks to grant Indian citizenship to refugees from Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Parsi communities fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, and who entered India on or before December 31, 2014.