Odisha train mishap: Akhilesh Yadav hits out at BJP for giving false assurances on Railways 'Kavach system'
Jun 06, 2023
Lakhimpur Kheri (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 7 : Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party for terming the Kavach system as a means of safety and security to avert the rail accidents and said that the system is a 'fraud' orchestrated by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
"We did not say anything new. The government said that the security of the Railways will never be an issue with the use of the Kavach system. The Kavach system defaulted a lot. The Kavach system was just a fraud by the BJP," Yadav said while talking to the reporters.
The Opposition has strongly condemned the government's safety assertions regarding the Kavach system, particularly in light of the tragic Odisha train accident that claimed the lives of over 270 individuals and left nearly 1000 injured.
Following the incident, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been assigned the task to investigate the matter.
The accident occurred on June 2 when the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express collided with a stationary freight train, causing multiple coaches to derail onto the adjacent track. Subsequently, the Howrah Express, en route from Yesvantpur to Howrah, collided with the affected carriages at high speed, resulting in further derailment.
Opposition parties have criticized the Modi government for its handling of the Balasore train tragedy and have called for the resignation of Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
Congress has questioned the decision to involve the CBI in the investigation, stating that technical, institutional, and political failures cannot be attributed to law enforcement agencies.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), or any other law enforcement agency, cannot fix accountability for technical, institutional and political failures.
He said, "Consistently flawed decision-making has made travelling by rail unsafe and has in turn compounded the problems of our people."
"Unfortunately, the people in charge - your goodself and Railway Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw - do not want to admit that there are problems. The Railway Minister claims to have already found a root cause, but yet has requested the CBI to investigate. The CBI is meant to investigate crimes, not railway accidents. The CBI, or any other law enforcement agency, cannot fix accountability for technical, institutional and political failures. In addition, they lack the technical expertise in railway safety, signalling, and maintenance practices," read the letter from Kharge.
