Protests held by members of the Kapu community seeking reservation turned violent when they set the Ratnachal Express on fire today, at Tuni railway station in Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh.

Several bogies of the Ratnachal Express were set on fire by violent protesters seeking inclusion in the Backward Class list.

The agitators also damaged police vehicles in the area.

The protesters resorted to stone pelting, injuring several railway and police officials. An emergency helpline (0891-2575083) has been set up at the Visakhapatnam Railway station.

According to sources, one police constable sustained injuries in stone pelting at the spot.

The incident forced authorities to stop all trains running between Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada stations, causing huge inconvenience to passengers.

Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said, "I am appealing all to maintain law and order. Appealing protesters to cooperate with police. Government will deal firmly with the violators, no question of compromise."

Earlier, members of Kapu community took to the streets and blocked railway lines and highways in Andhra Pradesh. The protesters have also blocked the Chennai- Kolkata national highway affecting vehicular movement.

Last year, the Andhra Pradesh government announced inclusion of Kapu community under Backward Classes category and set up of a panel to study the proportion of reservation to be granted to them.

The government has also decided to constitute a commission to study the issue of reservations to be provided for the community.

