Karwar: Members of Kannada Rakshna Vedike staged a sit-in protest against the change in the timings of the Karwar-Bengaluru train and the denial of employment opportunities to Uttara Kannada people in the railways.

This protest was staged under the leadership of Kannada Rakshana Vedike district president Bhaskar Patgar. The protestors chanted slogans against the Konkan railways.  When they tried to enter the railway station, the police intervened and stopped them. Then the protesters sat on a dharna in front of the railway station.

Protestors said that Kannadigas always needed to hold protests to meet the small demands from the Konkan Railway. The Bengaluru-Karwar train was started a few years ago after years of protests. But now its timing has been changed and there is a delay in reaching Bengaluru. They demanded that the timings should not be changed under any circumstances and the train should run according to the old timetable, so that the passengers could reach Bengaluru as soon as possible.

The protesters also demanded that the Karwar railway station be converted into a terminal station. Those who have lost everything for the Konkan Railway project have not been provided adequate employment so far and even if a few people have been given employment, it is a D-level job. Therefore, all of them should be immediately assigned appropriate posts on the basis of merit, and maximum employment opportunities should be provided to the people of Uttara Kannada in Konkan Railway.