‘We don’t want bullet trains, want our normal trains to be safe’

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha MP Jawhar Sarkar, in a scathing address in the Upper House of Parliament, lambasted the Central government for its

failure to ensure basic safety for the general public, especially those who rely on regular train services.

He pointed out that there is no point in running bullet trains when the Centre fails to ensure basic safety for the Railway passengers who travel in normal trains and not the premium ones.

During his speech, Sarkar said: “We don’t want bullet trains, we want our normal trains to be safe.” He further said: “I would request the Railway minister to kindly devote some time to “Aam Janta” trains and also to train safety issues, ‘Kavach’ etc. The Minister should also take a look into the issue where around 1.5 lakh posts lying vacant in the safety department only so that we don’t get repeated accidents.”

Incidentally, as many as ten people were killed and 40 injured in a recent rail accident that occurred near New Jalpaiguri in June.

A goods train had collided with the Kanchanjunga Express from behind. Sarkar also pointed out that Centre is giving the highest priority in infrastructure by allotting Rs 10-11 lakh crore but earlier roofs used to leak during rain but now the roofs fall and papers get leaked. Sarkar reposted his party post: “Previously, during rainfall, roofs leaked.

Now, the roofs fall and papers get leaked.” Amid heavy rainfall in Delhi on Friday, a canopy at the Terminal-1 departure area at Delhi airport collapsed injuring six and killing one.

Besides the roof sheet, the support beams collapsed, damaging the cars parked in the pick-up and drop areas of the terminal. In another development, NEET question papers leaked this year.

Sarkar in a post on X also said: “In 1 minute in Rajya Sabha, I explain how banks have been looted by Frauds & Big Business in Modi’s regime.”