NEWSLINKS US EDITION SOUTH ASIA COLUMNISTS DIARY SPECIALS INTERVIEWS CAPITAL BUZZ REDIFF POLL DEAR REDIFF THE STATES ELECTIONS ARCHIVES US ARCHIVES SEARCH REDIFF
Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi
Minister of State for Railways Bandaru Duttaraya on Tuesday maintained that Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani had earlier described the mishap involving the Kolkata-Delhi Rajdhani train as an accident because 'up-to-date information had not reached him'.
Duttaraya said, "I am not contradicting Advani's statement. Telephonic messages had come to me that it was a case of sabotage because fish-plates were found beside the track at the accident site."
"We had not sent this report [about it being a sabotage] to the deputy prime minister. After I informed him, he has instructed me to give him an update every two hours," the he said.
Earlier, Advani told reporters that the derailment appeared to be an accident and not a sabotage.
Duttaraya said the safety personnel of his ministry had confirmed that the bridge [where the derailment occurred and which was constructed in 1916] was resilient and capable of withstanding speeds up to 130 km per hour.
"Our safety commissioner, our safety director, the railway board chairman and even my senior minister [Nitish Kumar] have all confirmed that it was an act of sabotage," he said.
Complete Coverage: The Rajdhani Express Accident
Back to top
Tell us what you think of this report
