Para-athlete forced to sleep on floor after being allotted upper berth in train, Suresh Prabhu orders inquiry

Image Courtesy: ANI

New Delhi: In a shocking incident, medal-winning para- athlete Suvarna Raj was forced to sleep on the floor after she was denied a ticket for lower berth.

Travelling in the Nagpur- Nizamuddin Garib Rath express, Suvarna was denied a differently abled-friendly berth despite repeated requests.

Raj, who was allotted an upper berth, had to sleep on the floor of the train after failing to get the berth meant for the differently abled ('divyang') on Saturday.

After going through the ordeal, Suvarna expressed her desire to meet Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu to let him know about the treatment para-athletes go through.

“I want to meet Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu and tell him about the problems we have to face while traveling in trains. Disabled people suffer a lot in trains,” Raj told ANI.

The issue immediately was noticed by Prabhu who said he had ordered an inquiry into the matter.

"Have ordered enquiry in the issue. We are serious about ensuring smooth travel for Divyangs," Prabhu tweeted.

Suvarna had represented India in the Asian Para Games in South Korea in 2014 and has won two medals at the Thailand Para Table Tennis Open 2013.

At present, Raj runs an organisation for the disabled people. She is also working on ‘Accessible India Campaign’, a campaign by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment for achieving worldwide accessibility for those who are disabled, reports ANI.

(With PTI inputs)