CBI meant to investigate crimes, not railway accidents: Kharge to PM Modi

The Railway Minister claims to have already found a root cause, but yet has requested the CBI to investigate, he said, asserting that the agency is meant to investigate crimes, not railway accidents

A day after the Railways sought a CBI probe into the Odisha train tragedy, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the probe agency is meant to investigate crimes, not railway accidents, and cannot fix accountability for technical, institutional and political failures.

Kharge also said "all the empty safety claims" of Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw have now been "exposed" and the government must bring to light the real reasons that caused this grave accident, which he described as one of the worst in Indian history.

 

In his four-page letter to Modi, the Congress chief said there is serious concern among the common passengers about the deterioration in safety of railways and therefore, it is incumbent upon the government to ascertain and bring to light the real reasons that caused this grave accident.

He alleged that instead of focusing on strengthening the railways at the basic level only "superficial touch up is being done to stay in news".

 

Alleging that the railways was being meted out a "step-motherly treatment" by the government, Kharge also said consistently flawed decision making has made travelling by rail unsafe and has in turn compounded the problems of our people.

"Unfortunately, the people in charge your goodself and Railway Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw do not want to admit that there are problems," he said.
 

A day after the Railways sought a CBI probe into the Odisha train tragedy, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the probe agency is meant to investigate crimes, not railway accidents, and cannot fix accountability for technical, institutional and political failures.

Kharge also said "all the empty safety claims" of Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw have now been "exposed" and the government must bring to light the real reasons that caused this grave accident, which he described as one of the worst in Indian history.

 

In his four-page letter to Modi, the Congress chief said there is serious concern among the common passengers about the deterioration in safety of railways and therefore, it is incumbent upon the government to ascertain and bring to light the real reasons that caused this grave accident.

He alleged that instead of focusing on strengthening the railways at the basic level only "superficial touch up is being done to stay in news".

 

Alleging that the railways was being meted out a "step-motherly treatment" by the government, Kharge also said consistently flawed decision making has made travelling by rail unsafe and has in turn compounded the problems of our people.

"Unfortunately, the people in charge your goodself and Railway Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw do not want to admit that there are problems," he said.