February 16, 2025, New Delhi:
A tragic stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station has claimed 18 lives and left several injured on 15th February, Saturday, The stampede, triggered by the delays in multiple services during the Maha Kumbh rush, is a direct indictment of the Central government’s callous mismanagement of India’s railways. Despite clear warnings from ticket sales data—which showed 1,500 general tickets sold hourly—railway authorities failed to deploy adequate crowd control measures, leaving platforms dangerously overcrowded. Passengers, including women and children, were left to scramble for space, crushed under the weight of systemic apathy.
The severity of the incident was such that, the first responders rescuing the people were the coolies of the railway station. The railway administration didn’t have emergency measures in place to deal with an incident of this magnitude. It is clear, the Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw whose focus is primarily on PR management and content creation has failed to strengthen the railway safety and administration.
Despite the Minister ordering a high-level enquiry, the abject failure of his leadership has repeatedly led to common people losing their lives in ever increasing train accidents and his gross failure in strengthening administrative mechanism. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw must be removed from his post forthwith.
The massive propaganda of the Modi-Yogi government stating that the Maha Kumbh has been organised keeping the pilgrims in focus, is exposed as each day passes. Both the state and central governments have failed to ensure a safe Maha Kumbh that was visible through the tragic deaths in the more than one stampede at Maha Kumbh, huge traffic snarls, abysmal planning of facilities and ease of movement for the general public, and whereas VIPs are being provided with green corridors.
It is time that the double engine government is held responsible for people’s miseries and deaths due to its gross mismanagement.
-- issued by Central Committee of CPI(ML) Liberation
