JMM Slams Centre Over Jharkhand Train Accident, Asks Railway Minister To Focus On Job

New Delhi: Hours after the Howrah-Mumbai Mail derailed in Jharkhand, the JMM on Tuesday said Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw should "stop making reels" and focus on his job instead.

The ruling party in Jharkhand also said the "entire responsibility" for the train accident "lies with the railway minister and the central government".

In a post on X, JMM said, "Hemant Soren Ji or INDIA Bloc has no hand in this. Do not give threats to get us trapped by ED/CBI."

Tagging former chief minister and BJP state president Babulal Marandi, it said, "The entire responsibility for this (train accident) lies with your Railway Minister and the central government. Stop the Railway Minister from making reels and request him to focus on railways."

Opposition parties have been accusing the railway minister of being "busy making reels for social media platforms and not concentrating on passenger safety".

Two persons were killed and 20 others injured as at least 18 coaches of the Howrah-Mumbai Mail derailed in Seraikela-Kharsawan district early on Tuesday, officials said.

The accident occurred at 3.45 AM near Barabamboo, around 80 km from Jamshedpur, under the Chakradharpur Division of the South Eastern Railway (SER), they said.

SER spokesperson Om Prakash Charan said there was another derailment of a goods train nearby, but it was not yet clear whether the two accidents occurred concurrently.

West Singhbhum Deputy Commissioner Kuldeep Chaudhary, who is camping at the accident site, told PTI that the "Howrah-Mumbai Mail train hit the stationary goods train".

The accident site is near the border between West Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharsawan districts.

Former Jharkhand chief minister Champai Soren expressed concern over the “frequent” train accidents.

“The train accidents have become frequent in the country. There are irregularities or carelessness. The central government should take cognisance of it and rectify the anomalies,” Soren told reporters outside the assembly.

He also demanded a thorough probe into the train derailment near Barabamboo and action against those responsible for this.