New DelhiPolitical blame game has begun between the Trinamul and CPI(M) over the train accidents in West Bengal, including the Jnaneshwari accident and the Sainthia train crash on Monday. The CPI(M) on Wednesday charged the its arch political rival, Trinamul Congress chief and railway minister Mamata Banerjee, of “politicking” over a grave tragedy and sought Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s intervention on the issue of railway safety.
As the CPI(M) top leadership gathered in the capital for the party’s three-day central committee meet, West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee decided to stay away from the meeting owing to his differences with party top boss Prakash Karat on the party’s declining prospects in the forthcoming Assembly elections in the state. This, however, did not deter senior party leaders from praising Mr Bhattacharjee.
To a question on Mr Bhattacharjee’s absence at the meeting, CPI(M) politburo member Sitaram Yechury said, “The budget of the ministry he holds (home) is to be discussed in the state Assembly.”
“Our ministers are responsible, unlike others,” he said in a dig at Ms Banerjee whom the CPI(M) brass blamed for making “highly irresponsible” statements by alleging conspiracy in the two recent train accidents.
In an editorial in the party’s mouthpiece People Democracy, the CPI(M) also lashed out against the Trinamul for its alleged links with Maoists on the basis of evidence contained in statements made by Maoist leaders. It reconfirms, if such a reconfirmation was ever necessary, that the TMC had helped the Maoists penetrate in West Bengal and continues to maintain links with them, it said.
Referring to TMC leaders’ statements that the Jnaneshwari accident had taken place days ahead of the civic polls to indicate “conspiracy”, Mr Yechury said: “But who gained these elections? It was the Trinamul. So the needle of suspicion should be on them.”
Asked about Union minister Mukul Roy reportedly charging the CPI(M) with “scientific killing”, Mr Yechury said: “It is not only ridiculous but absurd. We cannot stoop to that level. We are studying the question of privilege as such a public statement has come from a member of the Union Council of Ministers.”
Mr Yechury said even home minister P. Chidambaram has put the railways in the dock by expressing regrets over the enormous delay in rescue and relief teams reaching the accident scene.