The Sainthia train accident rocked the West Bengal Assembly for the second day today with Left Front members demanding the resignation of Railway Minister, and Trinamool Congress accusing the Speaker of misusing the House for political purposes.
RSP member Tapan Hore said the Railways was trying to wash its hands off yesterday's accident with the Railway Board Chairman holding the driver of the Uttarbanga Express, which rammed into the Vananchal Express, responsible.
The Railway Board Chairman was told to say this to save the Railways, Hore alleged after he was allowed to raise the issue by Speaker H A Halim.
Claiming that neither Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee nor the Railway Board had discharged their responsibilities, he demanded that the Minister should resign owning moral responsibility for the accident.
Senior CPI(M) member Rabin Mondol said that 15 train accidents had taken place in the country in the past one year.
When the Railway Minister had visited Sainthia station yesterday, Mondol said, the people had raised slogans demanding her resignation.
Trinamool Congress members strongly protested this and alleged that the House was being used for political purposes to criticise the Railway Minister.
Leader of the Opposition, Partha Chatterjee alleged that the CPI(M) was bent on politicising the accident in which many people had lost their lives.
Subsequently, both the Trinamool Congress and Congress MLAs walked out from the House.
Statutory inquiry into WB train accident to begin tomorrow
A two-day statutory inquiry by the Civil Aviation Ministry would begin tomorrow into the train accident at Sainthia in Birbhum district.
“Members of the public having knowledge relating to the accident or matters connected therewith may appear and tender evidence at the enquiry on the dates or write to the Commissioner of Railway Safety, Eastern Circle, Kolkata,” an ER release said.
The Sealdah-bound Uttarbanga Express had rammed into the Vananchal Express at Sainthia station in Birbhum district, killing 66 people.
CID to probe Sainthia train mishap
CID will conduct a probe into yesterday's train tragedy at Sainthia in West Bengal which left 66 people dead and 89 injured.
“The CID will inquire into the accident,” DGP Bhupinder Singh told reporters. Singh said the victims were mostly residents outside the state and it was not possible for the state police to go to distant places as they did not have the necessary wherewithal.
