Opposition targets Modi government over “utter mismanagement” of Railways

Opposition leaders blame Modi government for train collision tragedy in West Bengal, demand accountability and rail safety improvements.

Expressing their condolence over the loss of lives in the collision between Kanchanjunga Express and a goods train in West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri, Opposition leaders targeted the Narendra Modi government and sought accountability.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, a former Railway Minister himself, alleged “utter mismanagement” of the Railway Ministry in the past 10 years of the Modi government.

“Extremely distressed by the Kanchanjunga Express train collision accident in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, where many people have lost their lives and several have been injured,” Mr. Kharge said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

“As a responsible Opposition, it is our bounden duty to underline how the Modi government has systematically converted the Rail Ministry into a platform of ‘Camera-driven’ self-promotion. Today’s tragedy is yet another reminder of this stark reality,” Mr. Kharge alleged.

“Make no mistake, we will remain persistent with our questions and shall make the Modi government accountable for its criminal abandonment of the Indian Railways,” the Congress chief added.

Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, in a post on X, said, “The increase in railway accidents in the last 10 years is a direct result of the mismanagement and negligence of the Modi government” and asserted that “as a responsible opposition, we will continue to question this blatant negligence and hold the Modi government accountable for these accidents”.

“The Railway Ministry, busy in PR exercises, is miserably failing in its basic responsibility of ensuring safety. There was no accountability fixed after the deadly Balasore accident, and this latest tragedy is the result of no remedial steps taken to prevent such accidents in the future. The PM and the Railways Minister must take responsibility for this steep deterioration in safety standards in the Indian Railways,” added Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal.