The tragic derailment of the Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express has intensified calls from the opposition for the resignation of Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. The Congress party has been particularly vocal, accusing the minister of neglect and mismanagement within the Railway Ministry.
The accident, which occurred on Monday in Siliguri, West Bengal, resulted in the deaths of at least nine people and left over 30 others injured. The derailment was caused by a collision with a goods train, leading to the overturning of three rear coaches.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge condemned the Modi government, asserting that the Railway Ministry has been reduced to a stage for “camera-driven” self-promotion. “In the past 10 years, the Modi government has indulged in the utter mismanagement of the Railway Ministry,” Kharge said. “We will remain persistent with our questions and shall make the Modi government accountable for its criminal abandonment of the Indian Railways.”
The call for accountability was echoed by Congress leader Pramod Tiwari, who also demanded Vaishnaw’s resignation. Tiwari pointed to systemic issues within the Railway Ministry, citing the recent disaster as indicative of broader failings. “Wrong management, wrong policy, wrong steps are behind the rail accidents. The load on tracks has been increasing, but there is no focus on safety. The country has not recovered from the rail accident in Odisha and now this big accident has happened. The Rail Ministry is not able to manage. The Railway Minister should resign,” Tiwari stated.
Congress communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh criticized Vaishnaw’s tenure, describing it as a period characterized by excessive publicity and a lack of accountability. Ramesh referenced a post on X (formerly Twitter) claiming over 329 lives have been lost due to train accidents and security issues since Vaishnaw took office in July 2021. “This period has seen maximum publicity, PR, and social media activity, and zero accountability,” Ramesh asserted.
But this has been a period of maximum publicity, PR and social media actvity by the Minister concerned. Zero accountability. Safety has been the greatest casualty. https://t.co/OVqZ1aMDBk
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) June 17, 2024
Congress leader Supriya Shrinate also took to social media to criticize the Railway Minister, highlighting the lack of accountability despite numerous accidents. “This plight of Indian Railways is worrying… When should we discuss the safety of people… the minister has no time to spare from making reels,” she tweeted.
Former Railway Minister and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav also voiced his concerns on X, questioning the government’s responsibility for the continuous railway accidents. “Who is responsible for the continuous railway accidents in the country?” he asked.
The opposition’s outcry follows a previous railway disaster involving the Coromandel Express in Odisha’s Balasore district last year, which resulted in over 290 deaths. This string of accidents has fueled demands for more stringent safety measures and greater accountability within the Railway Ministry.
