DYFI activists storm Palakkad DRM office in Keralam over railway bifurcation move

DYFI activists on Monday (August 24, 2026) forced their way into the compound of the Divisional Railway Manager’s (DRM) office in Palakkad, Keralam, during a protest against the bifurcation of the Palakkad Railway Division and the shifting of stations, including Mangaluru, to the Mysuru division, the police said.

The march organised by the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of the CPI(M), reached the gates of the DRM’s office around 8 am.

The police and Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel blocked the protesters at the gates.

However, some protesters scaled the compound wall and reached the main entrance of the office building, the police said. Later, more protesters broke through the police blockade at the gate and entered the compound.

The DYFI activists, including women, staged a sit-in in front of the entrance and raised slogans against the proposed bifurcation, officials said.

Additional police and RPF personnel were deployed at the entrance to prevent the protesters from entering the building, officials said.

Widespread protests

The Railway Board’s decision to bifurcate the Palakkad Railway Division has triggered widespread protests across Keralam.

The Youth Congress has also announced a protest march in Palakkad on Monday, while Congress MPs have announced a hunger strike in front of the Palakkad divisional railway office on Onam day.

Protesters alleged that the move would adversely affect the revenue of the Palakkad division, a significant portion of which comes from goods movement through Mangaluru port.

BJP leaders in Keralam, however, have defended the move, claiming that it would not affect railway development in the State.