Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut termed it as ‘a public massacre’ and demanded criminal proceedings against Mr Goyal and top railway officials for charges of ‘culpable homicide not amounting to murder’. “The stampede on the foot overbridge at Elphinstone Road railway station is a ‘public massacre’ of the people by the government,” a grim Mr Raut told mediapersons. Another Sena MP Rahul Shewale said he had written to ex-Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu in April 2015, demanding that the bridge — the scene of today’s stampede — should be widened for commuters’ safety, but it was rejected on grounds of paucity of funds and operational constraints. Maharashtra Congress president Ashok Chavan, who visited the victims, demanded a judicial probe and stringent action against those found guilty. “When will the government take note of the difficulties encountered by millions of Mumbaikars who carry their hearts in their hands to earn a living daily?” NCP senior leader Jitendra Awhad asked. He pointed out that the government had promised to fund a Rs 46,000 crore project to overhaul the Mumbai suburban railway network, but remains mum on the long-pending suburban elevated railway corridor and instead came up with the expensive Bullet Train plan. Leader of the Opposition in state Assembly and senior Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil and NCP’s Leader of Opposition in Council Dhananjay Munde demanded the resignation of Mr Goyal, who assumed charge of the Rail Ministry earlier this month. Senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar, former ex-chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and other Sena leaders attacked the government for discarding the urgent needs of Mumbai commuters and demanded immediate measures to improve their lot. Mr Goyal and state Education Minister Vinod Tawde faced demonstrations and sloganeering by thousands of angry commuters and Shiv Sainiks near the hospital who demanded accountability for the deaths. The central and the state governments announced compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the dead, compensation and complete free medical treatment to the injured. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is abroad, expressed his shock in a recorded message, announced a separate probe into the incident and compensation for the victims, a majority of whom were identified by late evening. Earlier this afternoon, Mumbai Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar, who visited the tragedy scene, said it was the responsibility of the Western Railway authorities to ensure commuters’ safety. The festival-eve calamity sparked off angry reaction on social media, with many questioning lapses vis-a-vis safety and security of commuters even as mega-projects like Bullet Trains are announced with fanfare. Many Mumbaikars abandoned plans to go on weekend outings or shopping for Dussehra tomorrow, while social media was full of pleas to cancel or curtail tonight’s final Navratri celebrations as a mark of respect to the stampede victims. (UNI)
