Abhishek Banerjee Slams Railway Minister Over Tragic New Delhi Stampede

Trinamool Congress (TMC) General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee has strongly criticised the BJP-led central government in the wake of a tragic stampede at New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday night that resulted in the deaths of 18 people, including 11 women and five children. The victims were en route to the Maha Kumbh Mela, one of India’s largest religious gatherings, when the stampede occurred.

Trinamool Congress called the incident a "criminal negligence" and criticised Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for what Abhishek Banerjee had described as his inability to properly manage the nation’s railways. “Running the Indian Railways, which is considered a lifeline for millions, is not a side gig. But under the BJP, governance has become a multitasking circus, delivering half-baked results everywhere,” Banerjee had remarked on the floor of the parliament on February 7 during the Budget session.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has come under severe criticisolon following the Balasore train tragedy in June 2023 that claimed more than 200 lives. Similarly there has been series of train accidents and disasters including Kanchanjunga Express accident, following the Balasore incident, killing hundreds of people. While Vaishnaw had maintained that Indian Railways has scripted remarkable progress in the past 10 years of BJP rule, incidentally the Railway Budget- which used to be a separate budget traditionally, was clubbed with the union budget under the BJP government. Opposition has demanded Vaishnaw’s resignation multiple times stating their minister needed to be held accountable for the railway infrastructure.

Abhishek Banerjee’s jibe aiming Vaishnaw also reiterated the opposition’s apprehension that the Railway Minister by also being the Information Technology Minister in the country, the efficiency he could bring to the table while sharing two such significant ministries might not be good enough.

The stampede follows a similar tragedy that unfurled on June 29 this year, when 30 people lost their lives in a stampede at the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. Both incidents have raised questions about the preparedness to ensure safety of religious pilgrims.

While sharing Banerjee’s February 7 video clip from his parliament speech on social media, Trinamool Congress singled out Ashwini Vaishnaw, accusing him of treating his ministerial duties as a PR stunt. “This is a result of the CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE by HALF-MINISTER
Ashwini Vaisnaw, who treats his job as a PR stunt while lives are lost due to MISMANAGEMENT and APATHY”, TMC posted on ‘X’.

Following the tragic incident, there has been widespread public outrage, with demands for accountability and a thorough investigation into the causes of the stampede. Opposition parties have called for Vaishnaw’s resignation, while social media has been flooded with messages calling for better safety protocols for pilgrims and passengers.