New Delhi, April 21
The attack on Railway Minister and RJD leader Laloo Prasad in Gujarat led to uproarious scenes in Parliament today with slogan-shouting RJD members demanding the dismissal of the Narendra Modi government and forcing the adjournment of both the Houses for the day.
RJD members in the Lok Sabha and in the Rajya Sabha stalled proceedings during the post-lunch session, leading to angry protests from the BJP benches.
While the RJD demanded the dismissal of Mr Modi, the BJP MPs charged the ruling UPA partners with diverting the people’s attention from the Railways’ “failure” to ensure safety of passengers.
The Rajya Sabha was adjourned twice, first for 30 minutes and then till Monday by Deputy Chairman K Rehman Khan. The RJD and
Congress MPs demanded a probe into the attack by a Joint Parliament Committee. They termed the incident as a “pre-meditated conspiracy” against the Railway Minister who had gone to Samalaya in connection with a train accident.
The incident took place at Vadodra when Mr Laloo Prasad was coming out of the hospital after meeting the injured passengers of the Varanasi-Ahmedabad Sabarmati Express, which ran into a goods train early this morning.
Parliamentary Minister Suresh Pachouri said the responsibility of providing security to a Union Minister rested with a state government when he was visiting the state. He said the government would get all the facts.
Senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said there should be an inquiry into the incident and the Congress and RJD members should not drag Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s name into it.
In the Lok Sabha, repeated requests by the Speaker to restore calm went unheeded. The House was later adjourned for the day.
Leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee informed the members that the government would make a statement after ascertaining facts but it failed to pacify the agitated RJD members.
Earlier, making a statement in the Lok Sabha on the accident, Minister of State for Railways R Velu said strict action would be taken against those found guilty in the collision of two trains at Samalya on the Godhra-Vadodara section of Western Railways early in the day.
He said the collision took place between Varanasi-Ahmedabad Sabarmati Express and goods trains at 3.10 am.
“In this accident, the engine and eight coaches of the Sabarmati Express derailed and seven coaches capsized. The injured have been admitted to Sayaji Rao Hospital in Vadodara and other nearby hospitals.”
Commissioner of Railway Safety (Western Circle) will inquire into the accident.
The minister said stranded passengers had been sent by a special train and medical relief vans had been rushed to the spot. He said Railway Minister Laloo Prasad and his Minister of State Narainbhai Rathwa had also reached to the site.
The House expressed deep sorrow over the rail accident with Speaker Somnath Chatterjee conveying deep sense of shock of the House to members of bereaved families.
The House observed a minute’s silence as a mark of respect in memory of those who were killed in the accident.
