Dr. Ajay Kumar Criticizes Modi Government Over Rail Safety and Tribal Rights

Jamshedpur, September 14, 2024 – Former MP and senior Congress leader Dr. Ajay Kumar has criticized the Modi government for its handling of rail safety and tribal rights. Speaking to the media on Saturday, Dr. Kumar described the inauguration of the Vande Bharat Express as a political event that does not address the needs of the majority of Jamshedpur’s population. He highlighted that 80% of the city’s residents, excluding Tata Steel workers, earn between ₹18,000 and ₹25,000 per month, questioning the relevance of such high-end trains for them.

Dr. Kumar revealed that, according to Right to Information data, an average of ₹2.35 crore has been spent on each inauguration of the Vande Bharat Express over the past two years. Additionally, ₹45,000 crore is allocated for the train’s security cover, while ₹1.25 lakh crore is being spent on the bullet train project. He criticized the government for not investing adequately in the safety of general class trains, which serve around 35 crore passengers annually. He pointed out that the number of general and sleeper coaches has been reduced, and traveling on waiting tickets in sleeper class has been banned, exacerbating the difficulties faced by common people.

Dr. Kumar urged the Modi government to focus on running trains on time and preventing accidents before launching new high-speed trains. He emphasized that increasing the income of common people should be a priority to make such services accessible to them. He noted the frequent rail accidents under the current administration, indicating a failure to improve rail safety.

In addition to rail safety, Dr. Kumar accused the BJP of being anti-tribal, citing the party’s failure to implement the Sarna Dharma Code. He mentioned that the Hemant Soren government had passed a bill related to the Sarna Dharma Code two years ago, which was sent to the Modi government but has not been implemented. Dr. Kumar argued that this inaction proves the BJP’s lack of genuine concern for tribal rights.

Dr. Kumar also criticized BJP leader Hemant Vishwa Sarma for spreading false propaganda about Bangladeshis usurping tribal land. He referenced an affidavit from the Home Ministry submitted to the Ranchi High Court, which stated that there is no data supporting such claims. Dr. Kumar called for Sarma’s resignation, questioning the basis of his statements.

Report Prem Kumar Srivastava & Jaswinder Singh