Odisha train accident: Opposition demands Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw's resignation
Top opposition leaders have asserted that Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw should resign in the aftermath of the terrible train tragedy in Odisha. Expressing outrage at the deaths, leaders like Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo & former Railways Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge emphasized the significance of passenger safety on trains, stepping up the attack on the Centre and sought accountability.
Why does this story matter?
- The opposition reaction comes as the initial probe into the Odisha train accident pointed toward "negligence" and "signaling error".
- Dubbed "one of the worst railway accidents" in India, it killed nearly 290 people and injured over 900.
- Reportedly, the three-way crash happened when Coromandel Express hit stationary goods train on Friday evening, following which a Howrah-bound train running on another track also got derailed.
'Negligence' caused train accident, BJP government destroyed railways: Yadav
Yadav claimed that "negligence" had caused the train accident and alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre "destroyed" the Indian Railways. In a video statement, Kharge said, "I want to ask the PM and the railways minister that it should be found out how this happened and who is responsible." He appealed to all states to come forward to help.
'Such incident never happened in the history of railways': Kharge
"We always talk about safety, but still, such an incident happened, which had not happened in the history of railways. But all this can be discussed later as now it is the time to be united and support the central government," Kharge said.
Mamata Banerjee questions absence of anti-collision system
West Bengal CM and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, who has served as the railways minister twice, also demanded a proper investigation. "This is the biggest train accident of this century and a proper investigation must be conducted," she told the media at the accident site. "Something must be behind this. The truth must come out. Why didn't the anti-collision system work?" Banerjee questioned.
'We owe answers to victims' families': CPI (ML)'s Dipankar Bhattacharya
Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya slammed the Indian Railways. "Do we no longer have any signaling and safety system in Indian Railways? Or will such terrible tragedies become the new normal for rail travel in India? We owe an answer to the victims and to the families who lost their near and dear ones in this mishap," he tweeted.
CPI's Binoy Viswam claims Centre focuses only on luxury trains
The Communist Party of India (CPI) also demanded the resignation of the railways minister over the incident. "Government concentrates only on luxury trains. Trains and tracks of common people are neglected. Orissa deaths are the result of it," CPI MP Binoy Viswam tweeted.
JDU's Sanjay Jha alleges accident happened due to 'infrastructural deficiencies'
Bihar minister and Janata Dal (United) leader Sanjay Kumar Jha alleged that the accident highlighted the infrastructural deficiencies of the Indian Railways and lapses in passenger safety. While demanding Vaishnaw's resignation, he mentioned a past incident noting that JDU leader Nitish Kumar had resigned as the railway minister in August 1999, taking moral responsibility for the Gaisal train accident that killed nearly 230 people.
