BJP's Roopa Ganguly suspects foul play in Bikaner-Guwahati express mishap; seeks CBI probe

Linking the express train mishap to the upcoming assembly elections, BJP leader Roopa Ganguly on Friday, demanded a CBI investigation into the derailment of the Bikaner-Guwahati Express in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri. She stated there had been no "bad news" about trains for years, but just ahead of polls, such an accident has occurred. Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Manipur, Uttarakhand, and Goa are the five states that are going to the polls from next month.

West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar, however, had an opposing view and said there should be no controversy over a human tragedy. He said the cause of the accident will be known once the probe is completed.

At least nine people were killed and 36 injured after 12 coaches of the Bikaner-Guwahati Express went off the rails near Domohani in the Alipurduar subdivision of Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) on Thursday evening. Some of the coaches overturned or were found mounted on top of one another.

Suspecting foul play in the tragic accident, Ganguly said, "Can the train get derailed on its own? Does the rail track understand the polls are due soon? There had not been any bad news about trains for years."

"A CBI probe should be ordered. One should not play with human lives," she wrote in a Facebook post.

According to the NFR, at least 1,053 passengers were on board the train at the time of the accident. Meanwhile, Majumdar said there should be no controversy on the issue as Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has already spoken on it.

"There should not be any controversy over the human tragedy. The (railway) minister has already spoken on the issue. A probe will establish the cause (of the accident)," the State BJP chief said.

'Issue with train equipment may have caused derailment': Railway Minister

Earlier in the day, Vaishnaw visited the train accident site in Jalpaiguri and stated that preliminary reports indicate "some issue" with the equipment of the locomotive. However, the actual reason behind the accident will be ascertained only after dismantling the engine's equipment, he added. The Minister asserted that a statutory inquiry has been initiated. 

Reacting to Ganguly's demand for a CBI probe, Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said the BJP leader was contradicting the Railway Minister. He too felt the need for a high-level probe into the incident.

"The tragic incident should not be politicized. She (Ganguly) has contradicted the railway minister who has not indicated what she has said. Railways come under the Centre. Let there be a high-level probe," he said.

(With inputs from agency)