Protests for reservation turned violent in Andhra Pradesh Godavari district as protestors set fire to Ratnachal Express at Tuni. The protests had begun with stone pelting and slogans, but gradually spilled over to several bogies being set on fire. The protestors had been demanding that they be included in the OBC lists and the incident forced authorities to stop trains that were running between Vishakapatnam and Vijayawada stations.
Damage to police property was also reported, with the railway station also suffering extensive damage due to the rioting crowd.
The protests were done by members belonging to the Kapu community in coastal Andhra Pradesh. This comes in the wake of protests by other caste based groups in other states too. In Rajasthan, members of the Gujjar caste have been demanding inclusion in OBC list. In recent months, Hardik Patel’s agitation in Gujarat on behalf of Patels in Gujarat caused the entire nation to sit up and take notice.
