Did PC criticize Railway ministry?
India Blooms News Service
New Delhi, July 21 (IBNS): Did he, didn't he? A political storm brewed on Wednesday on whether a remark by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, who said the disaster team reached the West Bengal train accident site on Monday late, was a criticism of railway, because soon after the utterance followed a government clarification terming the media interpretation as out of context.
Union Home minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday denied criticizing the Railway ministry while commenting on the delayed response by National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams due to mobility factors in the train accident case in West Bengal two days back.
Chidambaram, addressing a meeting of the NDMA on Wednesday morning, had advocated the use of helicopters and small aircraft for reaching accident sites quickly.
In what seemed like a criticism of the Railway, he said: “I was informed that the first relief team could reach only two and half hours late. The second one seven hours after the accident. They had to drive 220 kms.”
He said "there is a clear gap in the mobility of the disaster team.”
Within hours of making the statement, the Union minister issued a clarification, stating that he had not meant to criticize the Railway ministry as was being constructed in the media reports.
“Home Minister expressed a desire that ways must be found to respond more quickly in case of a disaster. In that context, he suggested that NDMA should examine whether it can use helicopters and small aircraft,” the statement said.
“One of the television channels (NDTV 24x7) is mischievously reporting the Home Minister’s statement as a criticism of the Ministry of Railways. Some Left parties also seem to have deliberately misinterpreted the statement,” the clarification added.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury had charged that delay in relief teams in reaching the site had caused the loss of several lives.
“She (Mamata) is politicking over a grave tragedy. She is not only doing a disservice to the nation, but to the Constitution as well on which she has taken oath,” Yechury added.
Railway minister Mamata Banerjee had under heavy criticism after the accident – the second major train mishap in two months – and the Opposition had been demanding her resignation.
At least 66 people were killed when two trains- Uttar Banga Express and Vananchal Express- collided as they came on the same track at Sainthia station, about 200 km north of Kolkata, on Monday.
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