Kolkata: Stones were pelted on the Howrah bound Vande Bharat Express at Malda, barely a day after the semi-super fast train was commercially introduced to link Kolkata with north Bengal, and even before the perpetrators were arrested the blame game began between the West Bengal ruling TMC and the opposition BJP.
Window panes of the Howrah-bound Vande Bharat Express were damaged on Monday evening after some unidentified miscreants threw stones at the moving just launched white liner near Malda's Kumarganj station in West Bengal, official sources said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi despite his mother death early on December 30 in Gujarat, did not loss time and hours later he virtually unveiled the Bengal first and India's 7th semi-super speed Vande Bharat to ease the connectivity of West Bengal.
The high speed train connecting south Bengal's Howrah station to NJP, the gateway of vast north Bengal, was unveiled in presence of West Bengal CV Ananda Bose, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw at Howrah station.
Eastern Railways said, "On 02.01.23 at about 17.50 hrs, information received from on duty T.E party of T.N.22302 Vande Bharat Exp. was pelted with stones in coach no. C13 after crossing Kumarganj station under IPF Samsi. As a result, the door glass got cracked. The train escort contained 01 ASI along with 04 staff with Arms and Ammn.of RPF POST D-Shed MLDT.".
BJP's Nandigram MLA Suvendu Asdhikari, who was present during the unveiling of the train, demanded an NIA probe into the stone pelting.
"Unfortunate & sickening. Stones pelted at India's pride Vande Bharat Express in WB's Malda district. Is this revenge for 'Jai Shree Ram' chants on the Inaugural day? I urge PM Narendra Modi and the Railways Minister to handover the probe to the NIA and punish the perpetrators."
The "revenge" referred to the NIA demand by Adhikari, who is also the leader of the opposition in the West Bengal assembly, as " Jai Shree Ram" chanted by a section of the BJP supports during inauguration of the train at Howrah station.
Banerjee was visibly annoyed at the chanting while many BJP leaders were seen trying to quiet the chanters by saying that it was a central government programme.
All India Trinamool Congress spokesman Kunal Ghosh while strongly strongly condemned the stone throwing at 'Vande Bharat' also demanded proper investigation."
"The AITC official strongly condemns stone throwing at 'Vande Bharat'. We demand proper investigation. "
"Same incident occurred in UP thrice. Statements related to this should include UP also. Is this a preplanned conspiracy to provoke cheap politics, this must be probed unbiasedly," Ghosh said on his twitter post.
Ghosh said "Who are trying to damage 'Vande Bharat'? Proper investigation needed."
"The AITC official strongly condemned stone throwing. But this may be a conspiracy to create a negative campaign against Bengal. First throw stones, then make statements, then start dirty politics; a well planned script," Ghosh added.
BJP's national spokesman Amit Malviya said, " Bengal desperately needs world class infrastructure, connecting North to South. Mamata Banerjee has been an unmitigated disaster when it comes to acquiring land for critical infrastructure projects like roads and airports. Now she can’t even secure the Vande Bharat! Shame on her." (UNI)
