‘Dal me kuch kaala hai’: Mamata Banerjee on Odisha train accident

Mamata Banerjee had visited the accident site in Balasore yesterday. She had raised the absence of anti-collision devices in the trains.

Published on: Jun 4, 2023, 18:57:03 IST

By HT News Desk | Written by Aryan Prakash

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West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday launched a fresh attack on the Narendra Modi government over the train accident in Odisha which killed 290 people.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee talks to the media after visiting the site of the accident involving Coromandel Express, Bengaluru-Howrah Express and a goods train , in Balasore district. Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan are also seen. (PTI)

“Yesterday, railway minister and Dharmendra Pradhan were standing with me. I should have said a lot of things because I served as a railway minister. Why there was no anti-collision device in Coromandel Express and Bengaluru-Howrah Express? Railway has been left to be sold”, Banerjee told at a briefing in Kolkata.

Continuing her attack, the Bengal CM said, "When yesterday he (Railways minister) was present with me and I mentioned about anti-collision device, why didn't he open his mouth? 'Dal mein kuch kaala hai', we want the truth to come out".

ALSO READ: BJP vs TMC over Odisha train crash; Vaishnaw reacts to Mamata's toll claim

Mamata Banerjee added,"Those who (BJP led Central govt) can change history, can change any number. Instead of standing with people, they're abusing me, Nitishji, Laluji...How did a fire break out in a running train in Godhra (in 2002)?... So many people died, they should have at least sought an apology".

On Saturday, the Bengal chief minister had visited the accident site in Odisha's Balasore wherein she had met Vaishnaw. “Coromandel is one of the best express trains. I was the Railway Minister thrice. From what I saw, this is the biggest railway accident of the 21st century. Such cases are handed over to Railway's safety commission & they investigate and give a report...There was no anti-collision device on the train, as far as I know. Had the device been on the train, this would not have happened”, she told reporters with Vaishnaw standing next to her.

In a latest development, railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the accident.

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