'NDA’s deceitful policies…': RJD, Congress slam Centre over overcrowded Chhath trains
Rahul Gandhi claimed that passengers were being carried in an “inhuman” manner during the festive season.
The four-day festival of Chhath began on Saturday, and so has politics overshadowed the operation of special trains for the convenience of travelling for migrant Biharis.
The Opposition, led by RJD chief Lalu Yadav and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, targeted the government over the shortage and poor running of special trains, as travellers were seen braving a huge rush to get a berth or just entry into heavily packed trains.
Rahul claimed that passengers were being carried in an “inhuman” manner during the festive season. Rahul described the situation as living proof of the “NDA’s deceitful policies and intentions.”
“Trains to Bihar are packed to the brim, getting tickets is impossible, and the journey has become inhumane. Many trains carry up to 200% of their capacity - people are hanging from doors and even rooftops,” Rahul wrote on X while sharing a video.
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Former railway minister and RJD national president Lalu Prasad took to X to criticise the Centre for not making proper arrangements.
“The king of lies and rhetoric (jhoot ke betaj baadshah aur jumbling ke sardaar) had proudly said that of 13,198 trains, 12,000 would be plied for Bihar to cater to the Chhath rush. This also turned out to be a white lie,” he wrote on X.
“These people cannot even run trains properly for the people suffering from the pain of migration in the last 20 years of the NDA rule. My Bihar people have travelled in trains in inhuman conditions. It is shameful,” he wrote, in an apparent retort to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement on Friday that RJD’s misrule and ‘jungle raaj’ prior to 2005 was the reason behind the migration.
The BJP was quick to counter Lalu's tweets. “Indian Railways has fact-checked Lalu Yadav’s tweet and mentioned that it is running 12,075 special trains for the Chhath festival. During Lalu’s tenure, only 178 special trains ran, compared to 12,075 today. They (RJD) are trying to do politics on Chhath too,” said BJP National Spokesperson Guru Prakash Paswan in Patna.
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The Congress also organised a press conference in Patna to express its sympathy for people returning home.
Party’s national general secretary Avinash Pandey, who has been given the task of strengthening the organisational structure in the state, held a press conference in Patna on Saturday and termed the train arrangements made by the NDA government at the Centre for Chhath devotees as inadequate.
“There are only 13,452 passenger trains in the country, then why was the false news of 12,000 trains for Bihar spread?,” he asked.
He further said that millions of pilgrims returning to Bihar from all corners of the country are forced to sleep in train toilets today. “This scene not only tears apart humanity but also represents a brutal blow to Bihar’s folk faith,” he said.
The Railway Ministry had announced a schedule of 12,011 special train trips between October 1 and November 30 to manage the heavy passenger flow during the festive season. On average, around 196 special trains have to run daily across the country.
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In addition to railways, the Bihar government has also announced the operation of 204 special buses from five states (Delhi, Haryana, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh) from September 20 to November 30 for the convenience of people returning home during Diwali and Chhath festivals.
“For Chhath and Diwali, the Narendra Modi government is working to facilitate the travel of migrant Biharis. Instead of the 7,500 trains to Bihar for the period approved in 2024, 12,739 special trains have been approved so far this year, while notifications for 8,591 trains have already been issued, and railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw is himself assessing the requirements to ensure safe and convenient journey,” Bihar Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary had announced earlier.
The Deputy CM also announced a ₹24 crore worth rebate for migrants returning home in inter-state bus fare during the festival season in the buses plying under the private-public partnership model.
In anticipation of the magnitude of the festive rush of migrants to their native Bihar, the Centre has announced mammoth preparations to tackle it, but it has still fallen short, exposing the reality. However, despite all claims of running special trains, the huge passenger rush upset all plans.
According to officials, the busiest day so far was October 18, with nearly 280 trains in operation, while October 8 saw the lowest, with around 166 trains. The ministry collaborated with all railway zones and divisions for months to plan the schedule and ensure passengers could travel on time to celebrate the festivals.
