Astha Special Train carrying Ram Temple devotees attacked in Nandurbar

Ajay Sharma, a devotee traveling on the train and Surat coordinator of Surat Bajrang Dal, narrated the ordeal, "We were sitting peacefully when suddenly there was a loud noise of stones hitting the train. It was dark, so we couldn't see who was throwing them. The incident happened near Nandurbar when the train slowed down due to a signal issue. Stones, likely picked from near the tracks, were hurled at coaches H7, H10, and H15."

By TBT Web Desk On Feb 12, 2024

Astha Special Train carrying Ram Temple devotees attacked in Nandurbar — The Astha special train, flagged off from Surat railway station by Minister of State for Railways Darshana Jardosh, was targeted late Sunday night.

Surat : Astha special train that was transporting pilgrims to Ayodhya for the darshan of Ram Lalla was attacked with stones at Nandurbar in the state of Maharashtra. This caused the people on board to experience a state of terror. Thankfully, there were no reports of injuries attributable to the event.

Near the end of Sunday night, the Astha special train, which had been waved off from the Surat railway station by Darshana Jardosh, Minister of State for Railways, was the target of the attack.

The event was described by Ajay Sharma, a devotee who was travelling on the train and who is also the organiser of Surat Bajrang Dal. He said, “We were sitting peacefully when suddenly there was a loud noise of stones hitting the train.” Because of the darkness, we were unable to determine who was throwing them. The event took place close to Nandurbar, and it was caused by a signal problem that caused the train to slow down. The coaches H7, H10, and H15 were attacked with stones, which were most likely picked up from the area next to the rails.

Among the 1,340 people that were on board, the assault sparked widespread terror. Because they were concerned for their own safety, they shut all of the doors and windows on the train. In spite of the fact that many stones were thrown into the coaches, thankfully, nobody was wounded.

The top officers of the police department hurried to the Nandurbar station after receiving complaints from passengers. They were aware of the gravity of the situation. Because they were conducting an inquiry, the train was stopped for a period of thirty minutes. It is important to note that occurrences of stone-pelting are not uncommon in the region, and that these events are often carried out by persons who are mischievous.

The GRP and RPF officers arrived at the location in a timely manner and, after their assessment, they gave permission for the train to continue on its journey to its destination. The event has left passengers terrified and sparked fears about their safety, despite the fact that the motivation for the assault is yet unknown.