On Sunday, the Congress questioned Prime Minister Modi on the disastrous triple train collision in Odisha, claiming that while he has a "Kavach" protecting him from public scrutiny and television debate, the country's citizens are not that lucky. "No other PM has protection like that. At one point, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Madavrao Scindia, and Nitish Kumar all quit their positions as a result of mishaps. Accepting moral responsibility requires resignation. But neither morals nor accountability exists here", according to Congress' Pawan Khera, who spoke during a news conference. The Congress abstained from participating in any television debate on Saturday over who was to blame for the disaster that took 288 lives.
Asks PM Modi to decide who will resign
Khera further added, "We don't know whom should we ask for resignation. The person who even goes to small stations to inaugurate small trains or the one who has bee busy since yesterday morning in publicity. PM Modiji, you decide whose resignation you want. Because now the nation expects that you seek the resignation of your rail minister the way Lal Bahadur Shastri, Nitish Kumar resigned."
"We are not against high-speed trains. But see the condition of the general coaches. What do you want to prove by flagging off the Vande Bharat trains? That the entire rail network of the country is like that? Different government worked towards strengthening the Indian railways in the last 70 years," Pawan Khera said. 'Praan jaye par PR na jaye-- you have to now leave this principle", he said.
Government did nothing despite reports
When showing a South Western Railways internal study that identified a flaw in the signalling system's interlocking system, Pawan Khera stated, "This report was prepared and circulated on February 9 after a similar mishap was averted. But what did the govt do after that? We want to ask PM Modi", Pawan Khera stated.
Ashwini Vaishnaw, the minister of railways, has come under fire from the opposition, which has demanded his resignation, for declaring on Saturday that politics should be avoided in favour of restoring the railway rails once the rescue operation was complete. The minister stated on Sunday that the accident's 'root cause' had been found, and the investigation report would be forthcoming shortly.
