New Delhi, Sep 22 Uttar Pradesh Congress President Ajay Rai slammed Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday, blaming him for the rising number of train derailments and referring to him as the "Reel Minister".
"The ministers of the railway department do not believe in running the railways or ensuring safety. That Rail Minister has turned into a 'Reel Minister'. You'll see many reels of Ashwini Vaishnaw," Rai told IANS.
He emphasised that the focus should be on addressing departmental issues and reinstating necessary appointments.
The Congress state president pointed out that the railway inspection teams, or rail gangs, which used to monitor and maintain the tracks effectively, have been disbanded.
"Earlier, there were teams that actively checked the railway tracks. Now, we see cylinders, wood, and iron lying around the tracks. This never happened before," Rai explained.
"We have been in politics for the last 30-32 years and have never encountered such negligence. The government has stopped all appointments, and now only reels are being made. As a result, incidents are increasing," he further argued.
The Congress leader questioned why the government could not prevent these incidents, attributing it to a lack of resources and personnel in the railway department.
"The system that was in place has been shut down completely. It is a total failure. The Rail Minister is focused on creating reels instead of addressing the rising incidents," he asserted, criticising Ashwini Vaishnaw.
Rai concluded by urging the minister to take responsibility and make the necessary arrangements to ensure the safety of the railways.
"You are just confusing things by talking about conspiracy. Why are you not making arrangements? Bring back the staff who used to monitor the railway tracks," he said.
"The government, rail department, and the minister are responsible for these incidents," he concluded.
His remarks came following two attempts to derail trains in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, raising concerns about coordinated efforts to sabotage rail operations across the country.
In Madhya Pradesh's Nepanagar Assembly constituency, a plot by unknown miscreants to derail a special Army train using detonators was thwarted.
In Uttar Pradesh, another attempt to derail the train was foiled when the loco pilot of a Kanpur-bound JTTN goods train spotted a cylinder lying on the tracks near Prempur station.
Both incidents are currently under investigation, with authorities remaining on high alert to prevent further attempts to sabotage rail operations.
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