BJP vs TMC over Odisha train crash; Ashwini Vaishnaw reacts to Mamata’s toll claim

The horrific three-train accident in Odisha’s Balasore district has snowballed into a political slugfest, after Mamata Banerjee and railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday engaged in a verbal duel over the death toll, with the Trinamool Congress accusing the Centre of neglecting passenger safety, while the Bharatiya Janata Party calling the West Bengal chief minister “motor-mouth”.

While interacting with the media along with Vaishaw at the accident site, Banerjee said she got information that the toll in the train crash might exceed 500. At this, Vaishaw responded, “As per the Odisha government’s data, the death toll is 238.”

Banerjee then reiterated the figure claiming that 238 was Friday night’s toll. “Rescue work in three coaches is still not complete, hence the toll would go up further,” she added.

Later in the evening, the railway minister, while reacting to Banerjee’s statement, told the media, “It is very clear that our CRPC lays out a clear procedure and the state (Odisha) government has time to time accurate information. As of now, the accurate information (of toll) is 261. So, we want full transparency, this is not time to do politics, this is time to focus on making sure that restoration happens at the earliest.”

To be sure, according to the latest government data, 288 people were killed and over 800 others injured in the collisions.

On being asked about his response resignation demand, Vaishnaw said, “Which is absolutely fine. Our focus right now is on the restoration of services.”

BJP hits back at Mamata Banerjee

However, Banerjee’s statement didn’t go down well with the BJP as its spokesperson quickly took to social media to hit out the TMC supremo.

“Someone remind motor-mouth Mamata about her conduct as Railway Minister in 2010 after the Sainthia train accident. Barely hours after the accident, she was attending a political rally in Kolkata. And today, she has the audacity to lecture others!!” BJP spokesperson Priti Gandhi tweeted.

BJP IT-cell head Amit Malviya said, “Just when one thinks Mamata Banerjee can’t be further embarrassment to humanity, she surprises again…”

TMC slams BJP for neglecting railway safety norms

The Trinamool Congress slammed the BJP-led government at the Centre over the train disaster in Odisha and accused it of neglecting passenger safety. It said the Centre cannot evade the onus of the tragedy.

“The anti-collision device which I had decided to instal during my tenure as railway minister is not in place,” Banerjee, who was the railway minister twice – during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s reign and during the prime ministership of Manmohan Singh in 2009 to 2011, said.

TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee lashed out Friday night itself, soon after the three trains crashed at Bahanagar Bazar station and demanded the immediate resignation of Vaishnaw.

Abhishek said the Narendra Modi government at the Centre boasts of the semi-high speed Vande Bharat trains and newly constructed railway stations to bolster political support by “misleading the public”, but is negligent about the safety measures.

“What has the railway ministry done in the last nine years (since Modi assumed prime minister’s post)? The prime minister talks about Vande Bharat trains. Is this an example of passenger safety? Whose responsibility is this? The Centre can’t evade its responsibility,” he told reporters at Howrah.