The protest will be held at Tile Wali Masjid in Daliganj area. The trains, which have been booked for around Rs 10 lakh each, will return to Azamgarh the same evening. The travellers include the relatives of the terror accused who have been arrested by the police.

This is the second such demonstration organised by the Ulema Council in the last one month. On January 29, a train had brought protestors to Delhi where the council had organised a demonstration at Jantar Mantar, demanding a judicial probe into the Batla House shootout and an end to “harassment” of Muslim youths.

Tahir Madani, co-founder of the Ulema Council and one of the organisers, said: “The objective was to stage a protest against the UP government and its police who are harassing people in the name of action against terrorism. Our protest is not limited to Muslims or the residents of Azamgarh.” Daya Nand Jha, Divisional Railway Manager of North-Eastern Railway in Varanasi, confirmed the group had booked two trains. “The trains have been booked for Rs 19.87 lakh and each has 20 coaches with six sleepers,” he said.