Kanchanjunga Express accident: Opposition alleges ‘mismanagement’ of railways
Around 10 passengers died, and 60 others were injured after three rear coaches of the Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express derailed on Monday morning after a goods train rammed into it
Opposition leaders slammed the Narendra Modi government over the Kanchanjunga Express accident in West Bengal on Monday, with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge alleging that “in the past 10 years, the Modi government indulged in the utter mismanagement of the Railway Ministry.”
“As a responsible Opposition, it is our bounden duty to underline how the Modi Govt has systematically converted the Rail Ministry into a platform of ‘Camera-driven’ self-promotion!” Kharge posted on X, calling the tragedy “yet another reminder of this stark reality.”
“Make no mistake, we will remain persistent with our questions and shall make the Modi Govt accountable for its criminal abandonment of the Indian Railways,” Kharge said.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi targetted the Centre and said, “The increase in railway accidents in the last 10 years is a direct result of the mismanagement and negligence of the Modi government, which results in loss of lives and property of passengers on a daily basis.”
“Today’s accident is another example of this reality – as a responsible opposition, we will continue to question this blatant negligence and hold the Modi government accountable for these accidents,” he added, demanding that the government should immediately provide full compensation to all the victims or their families.
Gandhi also appealed to local Congress workers “to provide all possible assistance in relief and rescue efforts.”
Sharad Pawar’s NCP reminded that “taking responsibility for the Gasal train accident in 1999, Nitish Kumar, the then Union railway minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, immediately resigned”. “But Ashwini Vaishnav in the Modi government, who had two major train accidents during his tenure, never once accepted the responsibility for the train accident. This is the hypocrite morality of Modi Govt.”
“Accident...death...news...some compensation......then silence.....waiting for the next accident....this is the reality. There is no question on railway safety and the device called Kavach. And no one will question whose responsibility it is. #TrainAccident,” RJD leader Majon Kumar Jha said on X.