Odisha train tragedy: Congress poses three questions to Modi govt on CBI probe

The Congress once again attacked the Modi government for recommending a CBI probe into the Odisha train tragedy.

Accusing the Modi government of shifting the focus away from its "failures" by bringing in new conspiracy theories, Congress posed three questions to the Centre on the CBI probe into Odisha's triple train tragedy.

Addressing a press conference at Congress headquarters on Tuesday, spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said: "Instead of finding out what caused this grave accident, the government is now spinning conspiracy theories and shifting the focus away from the issue of safety. Once again the Modi government is shifting the focus away from its own 'failures'."

Saying that Railway experts should probe the Balasore train tragedy and the Centre must not involve any of the central probe agency to divert attention from the incident, Shrinate posed three questions :

The three questions are:

1. Will the CBI find out why the budget for track repair and laying of new tracks which was Rs 9,607 crore in 2018-19 reduced to Rs 7,417 crores in 2019–20?

2. Will the CBI find out why only one zone was allowed to speak in the Rail Chintan Shivir when every zone was supposed to speak on security and why the focus in this camp was on 'Vande Bharat' Express trains? Will the CBI find out why the funding of the National Rail Safety Fund has been reduced by 79 per cent? Will the CBI find out why the annual budget of Rs 20,000 crore was not allocated to the National Rail Safety Fund, as promised?

3. Will the CBI find out why more than 3 lakh posts are lying vacant in the Railway department? Will CBI find out why the loco pilots are being made to work for more than 12 hours?

Earlier on Monday, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing concerns about the safety of passengers.

"All the 'empty' safety claims of the Railway Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, have now been exposed," said Kharge.

The Railway Ministry had earlier ruled out driver error or a malfunction in the interlocking system, and said that all angles are being probed extensively to come to the exact conclusion on how the accident happened.

On Sunday, while speaking to the media, Vaishnaw said that the railway board has recommended a CBI probe into the horrifying accident which left 278 people dead and over a 1,000 others injured. Vaishnaw also said that the accident happened due to a change in electronic interlocking.