Kerala CM slams erasing of mural at railway station, alleges Sangh Parivar hand
Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 7: A controversy has broken out in Kerala over erasing of a new wall painting at a railway station depicting the 1921 wagon tragedy as part of "Mappila (Muslims) rebellion" with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan Wednesday alleging that the Sangh Parivar was behind it.
Describing the erasing of the painting at Tirur station as "extremely heinous", he claimed it was an 'insult' to the country's freedom struggle.
"Indian Railways, which is a PSU, has succumbed to Sangh Parivar's interests and erased the painting", Vijayan alleged in a Facebook post.
When contacted, Railway sources denied the charge and said it was painted over in view of calls from various people criticising the subject chosen for the mural under a beautification programme.
It was perceived to be not in accordance with the beautification plan of the railways, since it depicted a "tragic event", the sources said.
The painting was half way through when a fresh coat of paint was applied over it on directions from officials of the Palakkad Railway Division to restore the wall to its original state, they added.
BJP state general secretary A N Radhakrishnan termed the railway's decision as a 'welcome step' but said his party had no role in it.
"BJP has nothing to do with the decision. As far as I have understood, the Railways have taken a stand against demonstration of communal violence," he told PTI.
The objection raised by local people might have persuaded them to take such a stand, he added.
The wagon tragedy took place on Nov 21, 1921 when 67 prisoners from the Malabar region, arrested for participating in the Mappila Rebellion against the British rule, died of suffocation while being brought to Tirur in a windowless wagon of a train.
Vijayan said the erasing of the painting was "an insult to the history of Indian Freedom struggle and can only be viewed as an anti-national act".
Using their power at the centre and various states, the RSS was attempting to 'distort' and 're-write' history of the country's freedom struggle, he said.
Now they were "allergic" to hear about the freedom struggle, Vijayan said alleging that whenever the RSS got an opportunity, it had 'slogged' for the Britishers.
"It is not surprising that these type of people are scared to think of the 'golden milestones' of the history of the freedom struggle," he added.
Besides Tirur, Kannur and Palakkad stations in the division had been chosen for beautification works with paintings of art, culture and historical events.
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Metro ridership in Haryana sees over 13 pc rise in 2025-26
Chandigarh (PTI): Haryana's urban transit system witnessed a strong growth in 2025-26, with metro ridership registering a robust 13.55 per cent increase, the state government said in a statement on Thursday.
The progress was reviewed in the 64th board meeting of Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation (HMRTC) chaired by Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi.
Between April 2025 and February 2026, the metro network recorded over 1.74 crore passengers, compared to 1.53 crore in the corresponding period the previous year.
July recorded the highest monthly growth at 22.93 per cent, while all months showed consistent positive trends.
Financial performance has also remained strong, with fare revenue rising 12.64 per cent till January 2026, the statement said.
Non-fare revenue surged by 108 per cent, driven by effective monetisation of station spaces, advertisements and commercial activities, resulting in an operating surplus for Rapid Metro.
Further initiatives, including the auction of station naming rights and additional advertisement sites, are expected to strengthen HMRTC's financial position, the statement said.
Appreciating the performance, Rastogi stated that the consistent rise in ridership and revenue reflects the success of Haryana's integrated transport strategy, rising commuter confidence and a clear shift towards public transport.
HMRTC Managing Director Chander Shekhar Khare said that, alongside operational gains, the state is making steady progress on an ambitious pipeline of metro and regional transit projects.
Metro connectivity from Gurugram Sector 56 to Panchgaon is under active consideration, with Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited studying the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and layout plan, and finalising a depot location in Sector 36A near Sihi village, he said.
The Gurugram-Faridabad Namo Bharat corridor has achieved a key milestone, with alignment and station locations finalised and approved by the Haryana government. The National Capital Region Transport Corporation is preparing the DPR, he added.
Similarly, the Delhi-Kundli metro extension is proposed to be placed before the Haryana Cabinet for approval.
The 136.3-kilometre Delhi-Panipat-Karnal RRTS Corridor has also progressed, with the revised DPR submitted for financial concurrence ahead of Haryana Cabinet consideration.
Within Gurugram, DPR preparation has been approved for key intra-city corridors, including the 17.09-kilometre Bhondsi-Subhash Chowk-Rajeev Chowk-Sohna Chowk Railway Station corridor, enhancing connectivity along Sohna Road, Khare said.
