Government indifferent to safety of people: BJP's Syed Shahnawaz Hussain

NEW DELHI: Attacking the Centre in the wake of the derailment of Kalka Mail, BJP on Sunday accused the government of being indifferent to the safety of people and said the Railway Ministry is "surviving on God's mercy".

Claiming that the accident took place as Kalka Mail collided with a goods train, BJP spokesperson Syed Shahnawaz Hussain said the mishap would not have occurred, had anti-collision device been installed in the it.

"Railway Ministry is surviving on God's mercy. For the last so many years all development works have stopped in Railways. There is no concern for safety and security. This incident would not have happened, had this train been equipped with anti-collision device," he said.

He demanded suitable compensation for the families of those who died in the accident and charged the government with being indifferent to the safety of people. "This government is indifferent to the safety of people. Such a big ministry has been handed over to two state ministers, who are in a tussle to prove their supremacy over each other," he said.

Meanwhile, the worried relatives of the passengers of the Kalka-bound Kalka thronged the Chandigarh railway station to make inquiries about the safety of their kin. Chandigarh railway station has set up helpline numbers 0172-2639785 and 2658924.