Stones were pelted at Vande Bharat Express in West Bengal's Malda district on Monday, just four days after it was launched in the state. As per sources, Railways has officially started a probe into the matter. An FIR under Section 154 has been registered against an unidentified man.
A crack was formed in the glass shield of the door as a result of the pelting. However, all passengers have been reported to be safe. The train wasn't delayed as the damage was not significant enough to halt the train that would've caused the delay.
BJP leader and the leader of the Opposition in West Bengal Suvendu Adhikari said that the incident is 'unfortunate' and 'sickening.' He asked if this was done to get revenge for the chants of 'Jai Shree Ram' on its inaugural day. He also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hand over this investigation to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). He also demanded stern punishment for the culprits.
PM Modi Flagged Off Vande Bharat Express In Kerala
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday virtually flagged off the Howrah-New Jalpaiguri Vande Bharat Express and said that the Union government is making a record investment in railway infrastructure modernisation. He flagged the train off after observing the last rites of his mother Heeraben Modi.
In his virtual address, the Prime Minister said that railway stations, including New Jalpaiguri, are being developed on the lines of airports. "Today's Vande Bharat train was launched from the land where 'Vande Mataram' slogan was coined," he pointed out, as quoted by news agency PTI.
Also present on the occasion were Governor CV Ananda Bose and Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
Mamata Banerjee, while speaking on the occasion, condoled the demise of Modi's mother Hiraben. "Your mother is also our mother," she said.
The CM also said work on four out of the five railway projects that Modi launched on Friday was started during her tenure as railway minister.
The seventh Vande Bharat Express started its journey at 11.45 am from platform number 22 of Howrah Station to travel to New Jalpaiguri, the gateway to the Northeast.
The blue-and-white train, which covers a distance of 564 km in 7.45 hours, will save three hours of travel time compared to other trains on the route, officials said. It will have three stoppages at Barsoi, Malda and Bolpur.
The Vande Bharat Express with modern passenger amenities is likely to be preferred both by regular passengers, tea industry executives and tourists travelling to the Himalayas in North Bengal and Sikkim.
The state-of-the-art train has 16 coaches, including two for drivers.