West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari has blamed the Trinamool Congress (TMC) for the Odisha train accident, which left 288 dead and injured over 1,100 passengers. “TMC is behind the incident. Why are they so worried and panicked about a CBI investigation in a different state?” Adhikari said.
TMC MP Saugata Roy reacted strongly to the allegations and said, “Suvendu Adhikari has lost his mental balance. Hence, he is saying that TMC is behind the Balasore incident. Is Balasore in Bengal?” “We won’t even file a defamation case against him as it will give him more footage,” he added.
Adhikari also accused the TMC of leaking and tapping phone calls of Railway officials. He referred to TMC leader Kunal Ghosh sharing a purported call recording of two Railway officials who were discussing what led to the accident. “This call record which TMC leader (Kunal Ghosh) has shared where two Railway officers are speaking should be investigated. Why are you so worried about CBI in Balasore?” Adhikari asked.
“The audiotape of two senior railway officers which is important was tapped and leaked by Trinamool in Bengal. This needs to be investigated. If this is not investigated, then I will go to court over it,” Adhikari added.
TMC MP Saugata Roy responded to accusations of the audiotape which was tweeted by TMC spokesperson Kunal Gosh by saying, “If Kunal Ghosh had tweeted an audio tape, he may have got it from someone. If the CBI wants to investigate it, they can investigate the audio tape.”
The train tragedy happened last Friday after Chennai-bound Coromandel Express crashed into a stationary goods train near the Bahanaga Bazar railway station in Odisha’s Balasore.
Today, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited injured who are currently admitted in different hospitals in Cuttack. She visited the eye and surgery department of SCB Medical College and Hospital and interacted with the patients and assured them of all possible help.
“We are trying to help the injured passengers in all possible ways and had already dispatched teams of doctors, nurses and officers to take care of the injured passengers on the night of the accident on June 2,” she told reporters.
Banerjee said there are 57 injured passengers from West Bengal in SCB Medical College. “Some have lost their limbs, some of them have lost their eyes. It’s such a tragedy that cannot be described through words,” she said. The chief minister said 103 bodies of passengers from West Bengal who died have so far been identified while 30 were still missing.
(With inputs from PTI)