Baroda commuters set fire to train

By Our Special Correspondent

AHMEDABAD, NOV. 25. Three compartments of the Sayajinagari Express were burnt when commuters set fire to the train near Palej today in protest against the Western Railways decision to merge it with another train and extend it beyond Baroda up to Gandhidham.

The agitation was a sequel to a satyagraha called by the BJP's Baroda unit. The Sayajinagari Express, running between Baroda and Mumbai, was delayed by more than an hour at Baroda as the `satyagrahis', including the BJP MP, Mr. Ramsinh Rathwa, the Mayor and the city BJP president, sat on the track. The police resorted to a mild lathicharge to clear the track of the protestors and detained some BJP leaders for some time. After about an hour's delay, the train left Baroda but as it neared Palej, the commuters alighted and set three coaches on fire. No one was injured, but all trains running on the main line connecting Mumbai with New Delhi were held up for several hours.

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