82-Year-old Dhoti-Clad passenger denied entry in Shatabdi Express

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, July 06, 2019 : In an embarrassing moment for the Indian Railways, an 82-year-old train passenger was denied entry into Delhi-bound Kanpur-New Delhi Shatabdi Express on Thursday morning as he was draped in only in ‘unstitched cloth’ and ‘dhoti’. Identified as Ram Awadh Das, a seer, had a confirmed ticket, but was still denied entry.

 

 

Das, while complaining about the incident, accused the Government Railways Police (GRP) of not letting him board the Superfast train as he was dressed ‘differently’. Though in his written complaint to North Central Railways (NCR), he didn’t mention specifically that he was denied entry because of his dress. Indian Railways Delhi TTE Helps Woman Deliver Baby on Train, Ministry of Railways Praises His Kind Act

Expressing his dissatisfaction, Das said, as reported by Hindustan Times, "I am shocked. It seems as if we are still living in the British era. Though I had the ticket, still the GRP personnel and the coach attendant denied me entry into the train as I was dressed differently. I am aghast and pained at their behaviour." He was travelling to Etawah to Ghaziabad and hails from Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh.
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Adding more, Das said, as quoted by the daily, "They said ‘Baba tum galat train mein chadh gaye ho (you have stepped into a wrong train). Your train is in Kanpur and will reach Etawah in the next couple of hours’." According to reports, the incident took place at Etawah station to Ghaziabad, where he was going to see his followers. He informed that by the time he reached another coach, the train left.

However, defending the GRP, Chief public relation officer (CPRO) NCR Ajit Kumar Singh claimed that Das had wrongly boarded power car and was told to board another coach. As the superfast train stops in Etawah for just two minutes, the elderly man was unable to reach another coach.