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Oh Prabhu, hide no more: Cong to Rly min

Says no amount of conspiracy theories can absolve the BJP government from the death of 23 passengers owing to compromise on safety protocols

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A mangled coach of ill-fated Utkal Express being removed with the help of a crane; A man signals to the mishap site in Khatauli near Muzaffarnagar on Saturday
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Charging Modi government of "criminal negligence" on railway safety, resulting in tragic derailment of Utkal Express, the Congress on Sunday asked Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu to accept responsibility for "failing to perform his primary duty to secure passenger safety".

The Congress also demanded a reply from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the derailment of the Kalinga-Utkal Express near Khatauli in Muzaffarnagar district on Saturday night.

Lambasting the government, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said that no amount of conspiracy theories can absolve the BJP government from the death of 23 passengers owing to compromise on safety protocols.

"Dismal safety record of Modi government reflected in 27 major Railway accidents since May 2014, resulting in death of 259 passengers and seriously injuring 899 rail commuters," he said.

Accusing Suresh Prabhu of setting new records in "laxity and unpreparedness" with regard to safety and security of passengers, Surjewala said, "The Railway minister, who continuously unveils grand schemes of privatisation and spends much time on Twitter, has utterly failed to secure rail passengers. People are demanding basic facilities and a safe rail network.

"Forget bullet trains, 27 train accidents have taken place since the Modi government took office (in May 2014). Six major tragedies have occurred in Uttar Pradesh alone in 15 months.

"Every time, the railway authorities invent a fresh conspiracy theory to wash hands of culpability, but the facts speak otherwise. Even in the present accident, miscommunication, misconduct and total disregard for passenger safety are prima facie apparent," the Congress leader said.

Claiming that reports suggest a massive miscommunication led to the derailment of at least 14 coaches, Surjewala said, it is a sad commentary on the absence of safeguards and vulnerability in which train system operates, not to mention the criminal negligence involved.

Questioning why a train supposed to move at 15-20 kilometre per hour speed was moving on "loose coupling track" at 105 kilometre per hour, Surjewala said the signaling work was underway on the tracks on the spot for two days, but still no train driver was cautioned.

"Rail fares had increased by 70 per cent since May 2014, but no concrete blueprint was laid to secure passenger lives," said Surjewala.

SPEED FACTOR

  • A train supposed to move at 15-20 km per hour on “loose coupling track” was speeding at 105 km per hour.
     
  • Though signaling work was underway on the spot for two days, no train driver was cautioned.
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