Union Minister Giriraj Singh has claimed that recent train derailments are being orchestrated by "sleeper cells" of Pakistan-based terrorists and individuals from a "particular community".
Union Minister Giriraj Singh has expressed concerns over the recent incidents of train derailments and claimed some “sleeper cells” of Pakistan-based terrorists were carrying out the attacks.
In an X post on Thursday, the BJP leader also claimed people of a particular community were carrying out all such attacks.
“Sleeper cells of terrorists sitting in Pakistan are carrying out these train attacks and these attacks are being carried out by people of a particular community, hence their political sleeper cells are also silent on this issue,” a rough translation of the minister’s tweet in Hindi suggested.
पाकिस्तान में बैठे आतंकवादियों के स्लीपर सेल इन ट्रेन हमलों को अंजाम दे रहे हैं और ये हमले एक खास समुदाय के लोगों द्वारा किए जा रहे हैं, इसलिए उनके राजनीतिक स्लीपर सेल भी इस मुद्दे पर चुप हैं।— Shandilya Giriraj Singh (@girirajsinghbjp) August 29, 2024
In reference to the media reports and viral videos showing some people obstructing train movement by keeping different objects on the track, Singh said, “A viral video showed children removing the joints of the railway track with hammers. People are giving directions from the sleepers above it.”
Talking to reporters, Singh said, “The people of a particular community are involved in the train derailments we have recently witnessed. This is a sleeper cell of terrorists, and also a political sleeper cell. Why is (Congress leader) Rahul Gandhi silent on all this?”
The Union Minister further claimed all such incidents were “not co-incidences, but an experiment to create chaos within the Indian Railways and the country.”
Attacking the Opposition, Singh said, “Neither Rahul Gandhi nor (former Railways Minister) Lalu Prasad Yadav, or (former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister) Tejashwi Yadav, or any ‘Tukde-Tukde’ gang will open their mouths, they will do so only on political developments.”
“The country will have to think why this community is carrying out such acts on a railway line which is spread over more than a lakh kilometres, also passing through areas where our Muslim population resides. They want to turn India into Bangladesh,” Singh claimed.
“(Samajwadi Party chief) Akhilesh Yadav, Rahul Gandhi, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav are political sleeper cells,” he added.
वीडियो वायरल हो रहा है, बच्चे हथौड़ों से रेल पटरी के जोड़ हटा रहे हैं. उसके ऊपर स्लीपर से लोग दिशा-निर्देश दे रहे हैं।भारत में जितनी भी ट्रेनें पटरी से उतरी हैं, वो एक खास समुदाय के लोगों ने किया है,ये स्लीपर सेल आतंकवादियों का है और राजनीतिक स्लीपर सेल राहुल गांधी की जुबान चुप… pic.twitter.com/bCnBstoWzn— Shandilya Giriraj Singh (@girirajsinghbjp) August 29, 2024
Meanwhile, sources told CNN-News18 that many anti-social elements intended to cause train accidents.
OBJECTS FOUND/PLACED ON RAILWAY TRACKS
Earlier this month, a 24-year-old man in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj was arrested on charges of attempting to obstruct train movement by keeping different objects on the track.
The man was arrested on August 1, after a formal complaint against him was registered by the Railway Protection Force (RPF).
Many of his viral videos also showed him keeping objects such as gas cylinders, coins, bricks, etc. on the railway track.
Later, on August 18, an iron rod and other objects were found on the track near the Kachhpura Railway Station in Madhya Pradesh. The engine of the Nainpur-Jabalpur Passenger Special train, which passed by the route, collided with the object. However, the train did not derail.
On August 23, a piece of wood was found near the railway track in Uttar Pradesh’ Farrukhabad, which resulted in a delay of several trains.
RAILWAYS MINISTER SAYS ‘DISTURBING TRENDS HAVE EMERGED’
Facing political heat over railway accidents, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday said the railways was carrying out a detailed inquiry into every incident and claimed some disturbing trends have emerged in the recent incidents of derailments.
Vaishnaw’s remarks came while he was responding to questions on incidents of derailment of trains due to the placing of boulders and rods on the railway tracks.
“There are some disturbing trends in some incidents, which should be taken seriously,” Vaishnaw said on August 28.
“Railways and defence are organisations which should be above politics. I don’t believe that railways should be a subject of political blame game,” the minister said in an interaction with reporters after the cabinet meeting.
Vaishnaw also said the railways was the lifeline of the country and if anything negative happens, every effort should be made to ensure that trains run in a very efficient manner.
Responding to a separate question, the minister said the railways have added 5,300 km of railway lines to the existing network during the last year.
“Ten years ago, the average construction pace in Railways was four km per day. Today, it is 14.5 km per day,” Vaishnaw said, adding all the sanctioned railway projects will be completed in the next five years.
