Sanjay Raut, MP from Shiv Sena (UBT), directed his criticism at Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday following a stampede at Bandra station in Mumbai. He accused Vaishnaw of being preoccupied with the bullet train initiative while neglecting the needs of passengers in the city. The incident resulted in nine injuries, two of them serious, as crowds rushed to board a train to Gorakhpur.
During a press conference, Raut highlighted that Mumbai contributes significantly to the Union government’s revenue, yet the facilities for local passengers remain inadequate. He pointed out that the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, which is currently under construction, does not alleviate existing infrastructure issues.
Raut also criticized the NDA government for a rise in railway accidents during its time in office, stating, “Since the beginning of this government’s third term, there have been at least 25 major railway accidents. What solutions has the government proposed?” He questioned who is accountable for the injuries from the Bandra stampede, emphasizing that the railway minister bears responsibility for the safety of passengers