Political blame game begins over West Bengal rail accident

KOLKATA - The railway accident at Sainthia in Birbhum district has triggered a game of political one-upmanship in West Bengal, with the ruling Left Front and the opposition Trinamool Congress trading charges and dropping broad hints of foul play.

Left Front partners Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) were quick to criticise Railway Minister and Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee for not paying enough attention to passenger security.

“The railways minister is not paying enough attention to passenger security. She is busy inaugurating new trains. Where is the security of the passengers?” CPI-M leader Shyamal Chakroborty asked.

CPI-M leader in the Lok Sabha and former railway consultative committee chairman Basudeb Acharia blasted Banerjee and demanded she take responsibility for the accident.

“She has paid scant regard to security and safety of the passengers. She should take responsibility. I remember after the Gaisal train tragedy (Aug 2, 1999), the then railway minister Nitish Kumar had put in his papers”.

Altogether 285 people were killed when the speeding Brahmapurta Mail rammed headlong into the stationary Awadh Assam Express at Gaisal, about 500 kms from Guwahati.

“The security of train commuters should be taken care of properly. It is very sad to see two incidents take place in West Bengal in two months,” RSP leader and state minister Kshiti Goswami said.

Banerjee, on her part, hinted at foul play.

“I have some doubt in my mind regarding how the accident was caused. We will talk about it after detailed investigation,” she told reporters after visiting the accident spot.

Asked whether she wanted a Central Bureau of Investigation probe, Banerjee said: “That I will tell you once the detailed investigation is over… We need to understand how this accident took place within two months of Gyaneshwari accident.”

On May 28, 148 people were killed when the Mumbai-bound Gyaneshwari Express derailed after Maoist guerrillas sabotaged the tracks near Jhargram in West Midnapore district. A speeding freight train then rammed into the derailed coaches leading to the high casualties.

“Gyaneshwari incident took place two days before May 30 civic polls,” she said, hinting at a political motive behind the sabotage.

Earlier, while leaving for the accident site, Banerjee told reporters: “We are searching for information. Let us now find details. Whatever happens is not (a) casual thing. We will take necessary action. We will take strong steps whoever is behind this.”

Trinamool leader and central minister Mukul Roy was more aggressive.

“Every time there is a railway accident before our political programmes. Last time during Gyaneshwari accident, municipal polls were knocking at the door. Now before our political meeting July 21 (Trinamool’s annual Martyr’s Day rally), there is again a railway accident,” Roy said.

The CPI-M and the RSP jumped to counter the Trinamool Congress and the Railway minister for indulging in a “blame game”.

“Every time there is a railway accident, the blame game starts. Last time during the Gyaneswari disaster the CPI-M was blamed as having perpetrated the sabotage. I don’t know whom they will blame now. This blame game is simply a tactics to cover up their own drawbacks,” Chakroborty said.

“We are not demons that we will kill people for political gain. It has become fashionable here to blame the Left Front for every railway accident. This is simply unethical. A proper investigation should be done to find out what cause such an accident,” Goswami said.