In the wake of derailment of the Chandigarh-Dibrugarh Express in Uttar Pradesh, the Opposition parties launched a near-unified attack on the Modi government, questioning the lapses in safety measures.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, in a post on X, demanded that the Kavach anti-collision system be installed expeditiously on all routes across India.
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While expressing condolences to the family of the bereaved , Mr. Kharge said: “Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Railway Ministers, who leave no opportunity for self-publicity, must take direct responsibility for the massive lapses that have plagued the Indian Railways.” He also pointed out that last month, 11 people were killed when a goods train collided with the Sealdah-Agartala Kanchanjunga Express. The Commissioner of Railway Safety had then said that the accident was “waiting to happen.” The probe report, Mr. Kharge said, pointed out failure of automatic signal, lapses at multiple levels in managing operations, and non-availability of critical safety equipment such as walkie-talkies with the loco-pilot and train manager as reasons for the accident.
Last week, the Congress had released a video of the interaction that the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, had with loco-pilots, highlighting their grievances, including long working hours.
Ms. Gandhi, in a post in Hindi on X said the spate of rail accidents are “extremely worrying”. He blamed “mismanagement and negligence” on the part of the government for these instances. The government must take full responsibility and tell the nation what steps it is taking to increase rail safety, he said.
Safety paramount: Mamata
West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress president Mamata Banerjee also questioned the government and the railway authorities. In a post on X she said, “ What are the railway authorities doing? What is the government of India doing? Safety and security of passengers are paramount! When will the government come to its senses?”
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav sought answers from the government, saying that those responsible for the accident should be held accountable.
CPI general secretary D. Raja said the spate of rail accidents clearly reveal the dismal state of maintenance of rail infrastructure. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi talks about Viksit Bharat making tall claims about development. He brags about Vande Bharat trains and bullet trains, but what about maintaining tracks? Indian Railways is short-staffed because the government refuses to fill the vacancies,” Mr. Raja said.
