Lucknow, November 16: Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday was attacked by railway employees in Lucknow over issues of restoring the old pension scheme. Goyal also faced protest and was allegedly attacked with flower pot during a railways function in Lucknow. Despite a heavy deployment of the Uttar Pradesh Police and Railway Protection Force at the venue, chaos and slogans were raised against Piyush Goyal over regularisation of the service of the apprentices.
The railway minister was in Lucknow to attend the 70th annual general meeting of the Northern Railway Men's Union. The chaos at the venue started when Goyal started speaking that the government was considering their various demands. The protestors were reportedly angry about an issue related to recruitment in the Railways. Piyush Goyal to Receive 'Carnot Prize' from University of Pennsylvania for Electrifying ‘18,000 Indian Villages’.
Take a look at the video:
Piyush Goyal was escorted out by security personnel following the sloganeering and alleged attack on him allegedly by railway employee union members. pic.twitter.com/uOJWwmMamr
— Qazi Faraz Ahmad (@qazifarazahmad) November 16, 2018
In his address, Goyal said the government was sensitively considering various demands of the railway employees, like the problems faced in the implementation of the National Pension Scheme (NPS) and regularisation of the apprentices. Railways to Be 'Unmanned Level Crossing' Free by December: Piyush Goyal.
Soon after his address was over, several employees gheraoed Goyal and raised slogans against him. They said their demands were not fulfilled and the minister's speech at the event was not satisfactory. Amidst the chaos, the security personnel escorted him to his vehicle, after which he left for Delhi. Reports inform that the protesting employees even jumped in front of the fleet of vehicles accompanying the Union minister.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 16, 2018 08:52 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).