Nation

300 died in train crash; will Ashwini Vaishnaw resign like others did in past?

Published on June 4, 2023

Ashwini Vaishnaw, the railway minister, has come under fire after 288 people were killed in a horrific triple train collision in Odisha on Friday involving the Coromandel Express, the Bengaluru-Houwrah Superfast Express, and a freight train.

Opposition lawmakers have sought Ashwini Vaishnaw’s resignation, blaming her for the disaster. It is still unclear whether a signalling failure, a technical problem, or sabotage caused the disaster.

Vaishnaw arrived at the scene on Saturday morning, ordered an investigation and stated that the reason would be revealed only when the report was completed.

Vaishnaw further stated that it was not the time to engage in politics following a disagreement with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the toll.

A picture of Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw is getting viral on the internet, as several users tweets in favour of the Minister.

Here are some tweets:

Opposition parties demand the resignation of Sh @AshwiniVaishnaw ji, Railway Minister.

But the people of India want him to continue and speed up the rescue mission.

We are very much sure that the culprits will be sent to jail.
pic.twitter.com/H2D4FZufaf
— Amar Prasad Reddy (@amarprasadreddy) June 4, 2023

The one who as CM never left his home and despite being responsible for lakhs of death in his own state due to covid was never asked to RESIGN!
But the one who has been on field ever since the railway accident happened is asked to RESIGN !!! pic.twitter.com/8spQb47ExC
— nitesh rane (@NiteshNRane) June 4, 2023

As calls for Vaishnaw’s resignation grew louder, BJP officials came out in support of the Minister. Several images of the Minister inspecting the crash site have also gone viral.

In one of them, the railway minister was seen crawling beneath a wrecked section of a train.

In another, the Minister was seen sitting with officials late at night while supervising the reconstruction of the tracks, which began after the rescue operation.

Mamata Banerjee argues with Ashwini Vaishnaw:

Parallels were drawn between Vaishnaw following the Odisha disaster and Mamata Banerjee following the Jnaneshwarin accident in 2010, with the video showing Mamata Banerjee participating in a political rally in Kolkata shortly after the accident.

Shame on you @MamataOfficial

Don’t worry, karma has its own menu card & Karma will serve what you deserve.

VULTURES! pic.twitter.com/jUtkDmVg4t
— BALA (@erbmjha) June 3, 2023

As Mamata Banerjee claimed on Saturday that the roll may be over 500 and that rescue was still pending in three coaches, Ashwini Vaishnaw stood alongside her and said, “Sara complete ho gaya hai, didi (Rescue work is all done).”

Vaishnaw eventually downplayed the issue, claiming that the emphasis was on repair. Mamata described railways as her “baby,” and she was always willing to make improvements.

Get all the latest news of Saurashtra on Indian daily post.