Balasore train accident: Congress demands Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw’s resignation

With the Odisha train mishap already snowballing into a political slugfest, Odisha Congress chief Sarat Patnaik on Monday demanded the resignation of Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. 

Addressing a press conference at the Congress Bhawan in Bhubaneswar, Patnaik said, “The UPA government in 2012 had introduced anti-collision device. The BJP government in the centre rechristened it as ‘Kavach’. But to check train mishaps, the Modi government has so far sanctioned only Rs 373 crore. Not a single rupee is spent for the super fast trains and first-class rains coming under the East Coast Railways.”  

“The BJP government is only concerned about earning money (from the Railways) but has been ignoring human safety. The result is the Balasore train mishap which claimed over 500 lives,” he added. 

“In the morning, he (Ashwini Vaishnaw) said the people responsible have been identified and sought CBI probe in the evening. This is unfortunate. We demand that he (Ashwini Vaishnaw) should resign, jobs should be provided to a member of the families of the deceased and the injured as well, and ex-gratia should be increased from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 15 lakh. The government should also bear the treatment cost of those who suffered injuries,” said Patnaik.

Reiterating the demand for the resignation of the Railways Minister, senior Congress leader Bijay Patnaik said, “He should immediately resign from his post, not only on moral grounds but because of his negligence.

The Parliament Standing Committee and the CAG said it categorically that they are not paying as much attention to the safety of passengers as they should. Only two percent of tracks have anti-collision devices facility. This amounts to neglect. He is now running Vande Bharat Express. But considering the condition of the tracks, I am afraid at the thought of traveling in this train.”