BJP's Etawah MLA Sarita Bahdauriya fell onto the railway tracks on Monday while vying to wave the green flag for the Agra-Varanasi Vande Bharat Express. Purported videos of the incident surfaced on social media. The incident occurred on a crowded platform as the train arrived around 6 p.m. The video showed the 61-year-old second-term BJP lawmaker among a host of people holding the green flag as they stood at the platform.
Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's virtual inauguration of the Vande Bharat train, the train, numbered 20175, was flagged off by Rail Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu from Agra. When contacted by news agency PTI, BJP's Etawah unit treasurer Sanjeev Bhadauriya said, "The MLA was helped off the track and she then waited for some time at the platform for the flag-off event." "Later she consulted doctors and is resting at her home now. She did not suffer any visible physical injuries. If there is any internal injury, it is yet to be confirmed," Bhadauriya said.
Watch BJP MLA Sarita Bahdauriya Falls On Rail Track
The train made stops at Tundla before arriving at Etawah station. Upon its arrival, a commotion ensued on the platform as various political figures, including Samajwadi Party MP Jitendra Douwhare, former BJP MP Ram Shankar, and current MLA Sarita Bhadauriya, gathered to participate in the flag-off, the videos showed.
As the train's horn signalled its departure, the platform became chaotic with supporters jostling for position. In the ensuing melee, the MLA was pushed off the platform and she fell onto the railway tracks in front of the train, it showed. The train was stopped in time by bystanders, preventing a major accident. Bhadauriya was quickly rescued from the tracks by the police and taken to the hospital, according to eyewitnesses.
Talking about the Vande Bharat Express's operation date, PRO Prashasti Srivastava from the Agra division of the railways said that the date will be announced soon. The train will cover the distance between Agra and Varanasi in approximately seven hours. The return train will operate as number 20176 from Varanasi to Agra, while the Agra-Varanasi service will be number 20175.