CBI investigation into Balasore railway disaster is a distraction: Rail veteran Pawan Bansal
The Congress referred to it as a “diversionary tactic” on Monday, a day after Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw suggested that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) look into the terrible train disaster in Balasore, Odisha.
Congressman Pawan Bansal said, “Our party president (Mallikarjun Kharge) has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and as a person I agree to it,” while speaking to IANS at the party headquarters. I don’t get the justification for referring the investigation to the CBI.
“On Sunday, the Minister himself has said that there is an error in the electronic interlocking system, which controls signalling and allows the trains to move,” said Bansal, a former minister of the railways, in response to the government.
His comments came the day after Vaishnaw reported that the Railway Board had suggested a CBI investigation to look into the disaster. Congress has criticised Railway Minister Vaishnaw and urged his resignation, citing many studies and audits that showed the failings of the Railways.
He said that the catastrophe was caused by a modification to the electrical interlocking earlier on Sunday. Investigation will reveal who is accountable for the modification to electronic interlocking, according to Vaishnaw.
The head of the Congress further said that the current interlocking mechanism is a “highly computerised system”.
Bansal referred to the report by Railways indicating signalling failure and added, “However, in recent months a senior officer of the railways has cautioned the government that such a thing (error in signalling) can happen.”
He claimed that the government is failing to inform the public about the “corrective measures” it has implemented in response to the report filed with the Railway Board, as well as the report’s contents and the actions it has taken in response to the CAG audit report that was laid before the house (Parliament).
Targeting the government, Bansal also claimed that there are a number of other reasons why there is a lack of funding for safety, track maintenance, and rail safety. Therefore, Bansal, who is also the Congress treasurer, stated, “There are other factors and questions that the government is liable to answer and not let pass the buck that CBI should investigate the train accident.”
The Congress leader said, “They have not said this (sabotage) here now.” This was in response to a query regarding turning the Patna-Indore Express train disaster in 2016 over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and even the Prime Minister indicating a sabotage aspect. We would accept this if it expressly came from the Minister of Transportation for Rail.
“However, one is left to question if it is a distraction strategy. I really hope it is not because they divert attention from the important details that the interlocking system has failed. The train that was intended to go on the main route instead used the loop line, which is how this incident occurred. They must respond to that question, he added.
Bansal said, “He is absolutely correct,” when questioned about Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of the BJP and the RSS for assigning blame for every occurrence to the past. The BJP constantly preaches to everyone and claims to be the government’s end-all-be-all and the fount of all knowledge.
Even Congressman Rahul Gandhi stepped up his criticism of the BJP-run government on Sunday, claiming that the Prime Minister, the BJP, and the RSS have a propensity for looking back and have a history of blaming others for the past.
Rahul Gandhi said that although the minister accepted responsibility, the Congress did not hold the British government responsible for the railway accidents that occurred when it was in power.
The former railway minister made his comments days after 21 coaches of the Coromandel Express and SMVP-Howrah Superfast Express derailed on Friday evening, causing at least 275 fatalities and over 800 injuries at Odisha’s Bahanaga Bazar Railway station.
