Bengaluru: Senior Congress leader B K Hariprasad on Wednesday claimed that there is a possibility of 'Godhra-like incident’ in Karnataka in the run up to the consecration ceremony of Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22. “The Karnataka government should be alert because in Gujarat during the same occasion, the Kar Sevaks were set on fire at Godhra,” the MLC told reporters here.

The 2002 Godhra train burning case had plunged Gujarat into one of the worst communal riots. The former Rajya Sabha member said: “A similar (Godhra-like) situation can be created here also. So, no room should be given for any untoward incident to happen in Karnataka. All the arrangements should be made for those willing to go to Ayodhya so that we should not see another Godhra happening in Karnataka.” “There is absolute possibility (for such incident). I can even give information. I can tell you that the head of some organisations went to some states and have instigated some BJP leaders. I cannot say that openly. They are doing it. They are instigating such act”, Hariprasad alleged.

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On the invitation to Congress leaders for the consecration ceremony of Ram temple in Ayodhya, Hariprasad said this event should be seen politically and not religiously.

“If a Hindu Dharma Guru inaugurates the Rama temple then you and me would have gone there (to Ayodhya) without any invitation'', he said.

“My knowledge tells me that the four Shankaracharyas are the head of the Hindu religion. If the four Shankaracharyas or any religious head had inaugurated the event then I would have attended the event. (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi and (Home Minister) Amit Shah are not 'Dharma Guru' but political leaders. We have to take this into consideration,” he said.

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New Delhi/Rampur (PTI): The driver of the Naini Jan Shatabdi Express averted a possible accident when he slammed the emergency brakes on finding an iron pole across the tracks in near Uttarakhand's Rudrapur, officials said on Thursday, alleging that it could be sabotage.

The incident occurred on Wednesday near Rudrapur City Railway Station, approximately 43 kilometres from Uttar Pradesh's Rampur, Railway officials said.

"On September 18 at 10.18 pm, the loco pilot of train number 12091 reported to Station Master/Rudrapur City that he found one 6-metre-long iron pole on track between Bilaspur Road and Rudrapur City," a spokesperson from the Railway Ministry said suggesting an act of sabotage.

"The driver stopped the train to clear the track. He started the train safely afterwards," the spokesperson said.

On the complaint of Rudrapur City Section Railway Engineer Rajendra Kumar, an FIR was lodged at GRP Police Station Rampur under sections of the Railways Act 1989 against unnamed people.

"On seeing the electric pole, the loco pilot applied emergency brakes and stopped the train and after removing the pole the train resumed its journey," the FIR read.

Personnel from Government Railway Police(GRP), Railway Protection Force (RPF) and police outpost arrived at the scene and initiated an investigation.

Of late, some railway divisions have reported cases in which obstructions in the form of gas cylinders, boulders or broken rails have been placed on the railway tracks with an intent to cause damage to train operations.

In Farrukhabad on August 24, a passenger train was stopped on the Kasganj-Farrukhabad railway track near the Bhatasa Railway Station after its engine hit a log placed on the tracks.

Earlier, in Kanpur an FIR was lodged for suspected sabotage in the derailment of 20 coaches of a passenger train.

The divisions have lodged FIRs in these cases and investigations are going on to trace the anti-social elements and prosecute them.