Railway minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday came in for strong critcism from CPI(M) for the Uttar Banga Express-Vananchal Express collision at Sainthia station in Birbhum district. Senior CPI(M) leader Shyamal Chakraborty went so far as to brand her as the “most incompetent” railway minister in the history of the
department. “Mamata Banerjee is solely responsible for these railway accidents,” he said. Mr Chakraborty blamed what he described as her “politics of gimmicks” for the spate of railway mishaps.
Criticising her penchant for introducing frequent new trains, the CPI(M) state secretary Biman Bose said: “When you will flag off a new train every day without paying attention to the fact that you do not have adequate infrastructure to accommodate them, then such accidents are bound to take place,” he added.
Taking a dig at Ms Banerjee’s claim of foul play, Mr Bose said that if the railways did not have the resources for a thorough inquiry, it could seek a CBI probe. In other words, he wanted to say that the CPI(M) was not afraid of a CBI probe.
Mr Bose also pointed out that over 90,000 posts of maintenance staff of the railways were lying vacant. “Since she has become the railway minister, passengers’ safety has been totally neglected,” he added.
Scoffing at her aspiration for the chief minister’s chair, Mr Chakraborty said that when she could not run a department how did she expect to run a state. The CPI(M) leader also criticised her for blaming others for the train mishaps. “After the stampede at Delhi station, she had blamed the passengers and after the Gyaneshwari Express accident, she had blamed the CPI(M). This time too she has raised the conspiracy bogey. Instead of admitting her own failure, she is passing the buck,” he added.
The BJP also joined in the CPI(M) in attacking the railway minister for the increase in train accidents. BJP MP from Bhagalpur Shahnawaz Hussain said that God alone could save the railways.