Ex-railway minister Lalu Prasad targets Centre over Odisha train accident

Lalu Prasad, who was railway minister from 2004-09 during the UPA-1 government at the Centre, demanded that the deceased be given adequate compensation

Former Union railway minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad on Saturday condoled the horrific train accident in Odisha’s Balasore and held the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA government responsible for the “deterioration” in the quality of India’s railway network.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad in Patna. (PTI Photo)

“The train accident at Balasore is heart-wrenching and tragic. It is a major lapse on the part of the railways,” he told reporters in Patna.

Prasad, who was railway minister from 2004-09 during the UPA-1 government at the Centre, demanded that the deceased should be given adequate compensation.

“The railways have witnessed a complete deterioration. There should be an inquiry and action should be taken against those responsible for the accident,” he said.

At least 290 people were killed and over 1,000 suffered injuries in the accident that took place on Friday night when the Howrah-Chennai Coromandel Express rammed into a stationary goods train near Balasore. A Bangalore-Howrah superfast expressed coming from the opposite direction collided with the derailed bogies of the Chennai-bound train, leading to one of the worst railway mishaps in India.

“There was a time when people knew about the railway minister and railways were not privatised. Youths used to get jobs. Now, nobody knows the railway minister. All flags are shown by one and only narcissistic propaganda minister,” the RJD said on Twitter.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar too expressed condolences to the families of passengers killed in the mishap.

State deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav said that railways should focus more on safety standards and alertness in their operation.