Stones pelted at newly-launched Vande Bharat train in Kerala

Stones were pelted at the Vande Bharat Express train between Kerala's Tirunavaya and Tirur on Monday. The Southern Railway said no one was injured but the windshield of one coach was damaged. The police have registered a case. The railway said it has decided to strengthen train security. 

The train was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 25. The Vande Bharat Express connects the state capital with the northernmost Kasaragod district of Kerala. The train covers 11 districts, Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Pathanamthitta, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasargod.  

Just hours after launch, posters of Congress MP V K Sreekandan were allegedly pasted on the Vande Bharat Express when the semi-high speed train reached Shoranur Junction. Visuals aired by television channels showed RPF personnel removing the posters of the Palakkad MP pasted on the train by some people in praise of his role in ensuring a stop at Shoranur Junction.