"Juggling between ministries...": TMC hits out at Railway Minister over Delhi stampede

New Delhi [India], February 16 : Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Derek O'Brien on Sunday took a dig at Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, citing his colleague Abhishek Banerjee's speech in Lok Sabha, where the latter accused Vaishnaw of "juggling" between three ministries.
Over a week ago, Banerjee hit out at Vaishnaw, calling him a "half-minister," saying that running the Indian railways was not a "side gig."
"Now, I will come to half minister. I spoke about half-truths. I spoke about half-federalism. Now let us talk about half-ministry because our part-time railway minister is juggling between two other ministries - Electronics and IT, Information and Broadcasting (IB). Running the Indian Railways, which is considered a lifeline for millions, is not a side gig," Banerjee said while speaking in Lok Sabha.
"Under BJP, governance has become a multitasking circus delivering half-baked results everywhere. I say this because, from the time this government came in, they have discontinued the railway budget. What have they done for safety? How many kilometres have been covered under Kavach (system) between 2015 and 2024? There have been 678 consequential railway accidents, where more than 784 people have lost their lives, leaving more than 2,000 injured," he added.
O'Brien's reaction comes as the railway minister finds himself in trouble over the New Delhi railway station stampede incident, where 18 people, including three children, have died. Congress has also demanded Vaishnaw's resignation.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi also jumped into the criticism, labelling the railway minister as a "reel minister".
"Those who keep saying 'not the right time to criticise or seek accountability' after every tragedy are effectively telling the reel mantri 'not the time to take onus and resign.' How many derailments, accidents, stampedes, lives lost, passenger fare raised, passenger having to travel in inhuman way will it take to become the right time for seeking accountability?" Chaturvedi posted on X.
Earlier in the day, former Union Railway Minister and RJD Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav on Sunday said that the Railway's mismanagement led to the stampede.
The stampede occurred around 10 pm when thousands of devotees were heading to Prayagraj Maha Kumbh, causing severe overcrowding at the station.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Railway, KPS Malhotra, the incident occurred when a large number of passengers gathered on platform no. 14, where the Prayagraj Express was stationed. Additionally, delays in the departures of the Swatantrata Senani Express and Bhubaneswar Rajdhani led to further congestion at platforms 12, 13, and 14.
An eyewitness described the chaos, stating that the crowd came from both sides after an announcement about a train platform change, leading to the stampede. Another eyewitness recounted the horror, saying that the crowd was beyond control. People from the administration and even NDRF personnel were there, but when the crowd exceeded the limit, it was impossible to manage them.
Most of the bodies of the deceased brought to the national capital's Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital following the stampede at the New Delhi Railway station had injuries on their chest and abdomen areas, with asphyxia being the likely cause of death, according to RML hospital sources.
A compensation of Rs 10 lakh was announced by the Indian Railways for the families of the deceased who lost their lives in the tragic incident.
Additionally, the Indian Railways announced a compensation of Rs 2.5 lakh for those seriously injured in the incident and Rs 1 lakh for those with minor injuries.