Panaji, June 5 : Alleging that infrastructure to avoid accidents languishes in neglect, the Congress on Tuesday demanded the resignation of Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw over the accident of trains in Odisha’s Balasore, which claimed the lives of 275 and left over 800 inured.
South Goa Member of Parliament Francisco Sardinha on Tuesday addressed a press conference and slammed the BJP government for the train accident. Senior Vice President M K Sheikh was also present.
Sardinha said that as the death toll has gone up to 275 and hundreds of people have been injured in this accident, the impact of this accident could be understood, which has happened due to human negligence.
“This train accident was a man-made devastation caused by utter negligence and serious lapses in the system, there seems to be no equipments in place to avoid accidents,” he said.
“Those responsible for this accident should not only face suspension, but should be sent behind bars. Their lethargic behavior is responsible for this accident,” he said.
“If Prime Minister Narendra Modi is serious about taking action against the guilty, then he should first sack Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. Let him start the action from him,” he added.
“Railways Minister should resign. He has failed to bring a system to avoid accidents. He is responsible for this accident, which has given pain to many families, who have lost their relatives,” Sardinha said.
He said that the launching of Vande Bharat Express trains should be stopped till the system is in place to avoid accidents.
“We don’t want more accidents and deaths. Speed limit of these trains should be decreased till equipments are installed to avoid accidents,” he said.
Speaking about the state issues, Sardinha said that the Goa government has failed to repair roads which were dug for work. “If government fails to repair these roads then in the rainy season people will have to face problems,” Sardinha said.
He also said that power outages are witnessed these days on the pretext of maintenance. “Power department should work on it fast and provide uninterrupted power supply,” he said.