Train's birthday celebration sees Shirur MP Shivajirao Patil pushed into corner; Mayor Rajpal almost falls on tracks
Train's birthday celebration sees Shirur MP Shivajirao Patil pushed into corner; Mayor Rajpal almost falls on tracksFor Shirur MP Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil and Mayor Mohansingh Rajpal, it was a day of shocks. An event that they probably didn't think of as more than a photo opportunity turned into a harrowing experience.
Patil, who was in the city to celebrate Pune-Mumbai train Deccan Queen's 80th birthday, was virtually cornered by a group of 30 railway passholders.
The mob started yelling at Patil and asked him to solve their rail-related problems.
A confused Patil meekly heard them out and promised to raise the issue in Parliament.
Later, when Patil was posing for a photo with Mayor Mohansingh Rajpal, who was also invited for the event, the mob gathered behind them and started jostling, alleged Rajpal.
Rajpal was about to fall on the tracks and was saved by a commuter in the nick of time.
Harsha Shah, president of Railway Pravasi Group that organises the birthday celebrations for Deccan Queen every year, confirmed the mishap.
"I personally apologise to both Rajpal and Patil. It is very polite of them to notu00a0 show any displeasure following the incident," said Shah. She said that people should have behaved decently as Patil and Rajpal were guests at the event.
Ganpat Mehta, one of the regular commuters of Deccan Queen, who was present at the time of the incident, said it wasn't the right time to raise the issues.
"In fact, I was one of those who held the Mayor from falling on the track," he said.u00a0
Patil and Rajpal refrained from making any comments about the manhandling incident.
"We would like to take back only good memories of the train on today's occasion," Rajpal said.