LIVE | Howrah-Mumbai Mail accident: Congress takes ‘Fail Minister’ dig at Vaishnaw

The ruling JMM on Tuesday (July 30) criticised the central government for the train accident in Jharkhand and took a jibe at the Centre and the BJP stating that Chief Minister Hemant Soren and INDIA bloc were not involved.

In a social media post, JMM also urged the Centre to ask the Railways Minister to stop making reels and pay attention to railways.

"Hemant Soren Ji or INDIA Bloc has no hand in this. Do not give threats to get us trapped by ED/CBI," JMM said in the post on X.

Tagging former chief minister and BJP state president Babulal Marandi, it said, "The entire responsibility for this (train accident) lies with your Railway Minister and the central government. Stop the Railway Minister from making reels and request him to focus on railways."

SER spokesperson Om Prakash Charan said there was another derailment of a goods train nearby, but it was not yet clear whether the two accidents occurred concurrently.

"Two persons were killed and 20 injured as 18 coaches of Howrah-Mumbai Mail derailed near Barabamboo. Rescue operations are on and an NDRF team is rushing to the spot," West Singhbhum Deputy Commissioner Kuldeep Chaudhary, who is camping at the accident site, told PTI.

He added that the "Howrah-Mumbai train hit the stationary goods train".

The accident site is near the border between West Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharsawan districts.

(With agency inputs)

Trinamool Congress leader Sagarika Ghose on Tuesday (July 30) slammed the government over a train derailment in Jharkhand that claimed two lives, saying citizens suffer every day because of neglect of basic safety of trains.

In a post on X, she said Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw is only a "part-time rail minister" and is busy with election management for the BJP in poll-bound states.

Two persons were killed and 20 injured as at least 18 coaches of the Howrah-Mumbai Mail derailed in Jharkhand's Seraikela-Kharsawan district in the early hours of Tuesday (July 30), officials said.

In a dig at the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Ghose said, "How many more train accidents will it take for the National Disaster Alliance government to wake up? Where is the Rail Minister? Ashwini Vaishnaw is only a part-time rail minister, busy handling BJP's election management in assembly poll-bound states, while safety of passengers is being shockingly compromised every day," she said.

"Modi only wants to flag off trains in photo ops while citizens suffer daily because of neglect of basic safety on trains. Shameful lack of basic accountability on the part of Modi government," the TMC leader said.

(With agency inputs)

The Trinamool Congress on Tuesday (July 30) criticised the series of train accidents across the country, labeling them as the "new normal" under the BJP government at the Centre, and accused the railway ministry of zero accountability.

Two persons were killed and 20 others injured as at least 18 coaches of the Howrah-Mumbai Mail derailed in Jharkhand's Seraikela-Kharsawan district early on Tuesday (July 30), officials said.

The accident occurred at 3.45 AM near Barabamboo, around 80 km from Jamshedpur, under the Chakradharpur Division of the South Eastern Railway (SER), they said.

"This is becoming the new normal. Accountability of @AshwiniVaishnaw ji is zero. The GOI has no answers whatsoever," senior TMC leader and MP Sushmita Dev posted on X.

Echoing her, party colleague and MP Sagarika Ghose wondered how many more train accidents shall it take for the Centre to wake up from its slumber.

"How many more train accidents shall it take for the Modi government to wake up from its slumber? People are suffering, people are being put through hardships and misery while the Modi government continues to escape accountability and responsibility for rail safety. We have a part-time rail minister as Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw is too busy looking after election management in poll-bound states to bother too much with the railway ministry," she said.

(With agency inputs)