Rahul Gandhi: Train journeys a punishment under Modi rule

Congress MP leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said travelling by train has become a punishment for people in India under the Narendra Modi government.

Sharing a video on X, the senior Congress leader said passengers of every class were being harassed by the Modi government, which had reduced the number of general coaches in "common people's trains" and promoted only "elite trains".

Ahead of the Ulgulan Nyay rally in Ranchi, in a mega show of strength for the Opposition INDIA bloc, Gandhi wrote on X: "In the rule of Narendra Modi, travelling by train has become a punishment! Passengers of every class are being harassed in the Modi government which is reducing the number of general coaches from common man's trains and promoting only 'elite trains'."

In India, travelling in unreserved coaches, especially on long-distance routes, has become a common sight in many trains nowadays. It can be a nightmarish experience for many passengers owing to the congestion caused by overcrowding and lack of basic amenities.

However, the government seems to have turned a blind eye to issues which may well pose a safety risk.

The Congress leader said the passengers were not able to sit comfortably even after getting confirmed tickets. Images and videos of passengers travelling in toilets of overcrowded trains have been doing the rounds on social media.

"People are not able to sit comfortably on their seats even after getting confirmed tickets; the common man is forced to travel on the floor and hide in toilets. The Modi government, through its policies, wants to weaken the Railways and prove it 'incompetent' so that it can get an excuse to sell it to its friends.

"If we want to save the common man's travel, then the Modi government which is busy ruining the railways will have to be removed," the Congress leader wrote on X.