The Trinamool Congress Saturday slammed the BJP-led authorities on the Centre over the practice catastrophe in Odisha and accused it of neglecting passenger security. It mentioned the Centre can’t evade the onus of the tragedy, which has left 261 passengers lifeless and a few 1000 injured. The BJP stung by the criticisms urged TMC to chorus from indulging in politics over the tragic incident. The Indian Railways has ordered a high-level probe to establish the reason for the accident. West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, who visited the accident website on Saturday afternoon, claimed that the railway ministry is being uncared for.
“The anti-collision device which I had decided to instal during my tenure as railway minister is not in place,” she mentioned. Banerjee was the railway minister twice – throughout Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s reign and throughout the prime ministership of Manmohan Singh in 2009 to 2011. The accident on Friday evening killed not less than 261 folks and injured practically 1,000 in one of many worst railway tragedies within the nation. TMC common secretary Abhishek Banerjee lashed out Friday evening itself, quickly after the three trains crashed at Bahanagar Bazar station and demanded the speedy resignation of Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
He alleged that the Centre spends crores of rupees on software program to spy on opposition leaders however is neglectful in putting in anti-collision gadgets in trains to forestall rail accidents. Keeping up his tirade, Banerjee mentioned the Narendra Modi authorities on the Centre boasts of the semi-high pace Vande Bharat trains and newly-constructed railway stations to bolster political assist by “misleading the public”, however is negligent concerning the security measures. “What has the railway ministry done in the last nine years (since Modi assumed prime minister’s post)? The prime minister talks about Vande Bharat trains. Is this an example of passenger safety? Whose responsibility is this? The Centre can’t evade its responsibility,” he advised reporters at Howrah. He alleged that a lot of the railway tasks are being inaugurated with out correct completion.
“Whenever a new train is being inaugurated, the PM is there for the inauguration programme. Then why will he not take the onus of this incident? Why will the railway minister not take responsibility and resign? This double standard has to stop,” he mentioned. The Centre is spending crores on the Central Vista mission and the official jet for the prime minister. “But why is there so much apathy towards passenger security?” he requested. Echoing him, TMC Rajya Sabha occasion chief Derek O’Brien tweeted, “Saddened as we mourn the dead, say a silent prayer for 300 grieving families and wish the injured recover soon”. He mentioned that on 25 May the prime minister made the “idle (political) boast” about how ‘actual work to vary railways began solely after 2014’ (when Modi assumed the submit). TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh too mentioned the union authorities “cannot evade responsibilities”.
“The Centre has to answer for this tragedy. It must reply to the questions about passenger safety,” he mentioned. Urging TMC to chorus from doing politics over the rail catastrophe, BJP’s Bengal president Sukanta Majumdar mentioned “This is not the time to indulge in politics over the tragic incident”. “So many people have died. It is time to mourn for those who have lost their lives and extend all possible help to the injured,” he added.
