20 July,2010 08:42 AM IST | | Amit Kumar
United opposition may try to corner the government over train accident in the coming session of Parliament
After the issue of prise rise, it seems, the series of train accidents including Monday's West Bengal train crash has brought unity in the Opposition camp, much to the discomfort of the ruling Congress-led United Progressive Alliance.
Off-track: Rescue personnel conduct recovery operations on the mangled
wreckage of train coaches following a railway accident in Sainthia in
West Bengal. Pic/AFP
If political pundits are to be believed the "union against the union government" comes at a time when the UPA-II is battling opponents and friends alike over the issue of price rise and with the Monsoon Session of Parliament starting from July 26, sparks are set to fly.
Not only NDA allies - BJP and JD (U), but parties like CPI (M), RJD and LJP believe the alleged negligence and disinterest of Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee in her ministry is the prime reason behind these incidents. Leaders of these parties in their respective statements on Monday targeted Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of being busy with West Bengal politics at the cost of her ministry.
They held Mamata accountable for the collision betweeen Sealdah-bound Uttarbanga Express and Ranchi-bound Vananchal Express in Birbhum district of West Bengal late Sunday night.
The accident provided a platform for the non-UPA political parties to settle their scores ahead of crucial assembly elections in Bihar and West Bengal.
On the other side, the Congress was seen defending key ally Trinamool.
CPI (M) Politburo member Sitaram Yechury said, "You have a minister whose attention is elsewhere and the country is paying the price for that." Refusing to accept the incident as a collective responsibility of the Cabinet, Yechury said, "The Prime Minister has to take a call. In the past one year, highest number of railway accidents has taken place."
In a statement, the CPI (M) said that maintenance of equipment and safety measures were being "neglected" by the railways. Echoing Yechury's sentiments, BJP chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said it was high time that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should intervene.
"Mamata Banerjee is not taking her ministry seriously. She has even abstained from several cabinet meetings," Prasad said. Another BJP spokesman and MP Tarun Vijay said, "People are raising serious doubts about Mamata Banerjee's capability and her willingness and her sincerity whether she can provide safety to railway passengers."
Criticising Mamata Banerjee's performance, former railway minister and LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan said that Banerjee would have to choose between Railway Ministry and West Bengal politics. "Both cannot go together. Such unprecedented loss of life cannot be tolerated," Paswan said.
However, JD (U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar took this opportunity to target principal rival Lalu Prasad. "It is unfortunate that safety measures were ignored by the railways after Prasad took over the charge of the ministry," Nitish said.
Congress spokesman Shakeel Ahmed said politics should not be played out over a serious accident, saying it would be premature to pinpoint responsibility till an inquiry report comes out. "No political party should try to get political mileage out of such an unfortunate incident," said Ahmed.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee also rejected the claim of Opposition that Banerjee's absence from her Ministry was the reason for recurrence of train accidents. "Accidents are accidents. Nobody can predict it," he said.
