Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)
Bengaluru, Jul 7: Metro rail services across the city were completely crippled due to the protest by the employees of Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL). As the trains did not begin operations as usual at 5 am, commuters were stranded.
About 300 metro employees were on protest at Byappanahalli station to register their anger at brutal handling of one of the metro employees. They have also been demanding release of two other employees arrested by the police. The employees were arrested after the Thursday scuffle, and the protest is on since Thursday afternoon.
However, the staff decided to withdraw the protest after negotiations with the police department. The train services, which was affected due to the protest has been resumed.
Sources said that the police officials assured the protestors that the department will not file any case against their arrested fellow colleagues.
Fight had broken out between some BMRCL employees and Karnataka State Industrial Security Force staff guarding the central college metro station. Thereafter, a first information report was lodged against five employees of BMRCL, accusing them of assaulting three security personnel, one of them a lady. The metro employees are angry that the metro management has not come to their rescue.
Police of Halasuru Gate station said that fight started between metro staff and security personnel when an electronic maintenance employee with BMRCL refused to put his belongings through the canner, insisting that he has been a regular worker. The police have also inspected CCTV footage showing metro staff beating up security personnel.The angry electronics maintenance employee reportedly returned later with five more colleagues and attacked the security staff who had objected to not putting the belonging through the scanner.
Commuters who arrived at the metro stations to catch early morning trains to their workplaces were the worst hit. They had to scramble for alternative transport, as they had no inkling about the flash protest by metro staff.
Traffic assistant commissioner of police, Hitendra, said traffic snarls might occur as people who usually travel by metro took to roads.