Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, January 19
Two passenger trains including a local Buxar-Patna were delayed to facilitate ferry of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s carcade at Buxar,120 km from here, on Wednesday evening.
Railways claimed trains were halted for nine minutes to allow passage of Chief Minister carcade to the Circuit House. Itarhi railway crossing was kept open for uninterrupted movement of the vehicles.
The Chief Minister while talking to media persons here on Thursday morning claimed he had no knowledge if any train was stopped to facilitate his movement during the Samadhan Yatra.
Santosh Kumar, gateman at railway crossing, however, said, “Railway crossing was kept open as the convoy of the Chief Minister was expected to arrive. It would have been risky to allow movement of trains from the nearest station on the track when a CM convoy was expected”.
District administration claimed no instruction was given to the railways to stop the trains and keep the crossing open. Chief PRO of EC Railways Virendra Kumar said the movement was affected for nine minutes for local factors. There was jam near the railway crossing, he claimed.
Union Minister of state for forest, environment and consumer affairs, Ashwini Kumar Chaubey, who represents Buxar in Lok Sabha, however claimed movement of trains were affected for 30 minutes to facilitate Chief Minister’s convoy to pass through the railway crossing near railway station without interruption. While he claims to be on Samadhan (solution) yatra, his visit has created Vyadhan(disturbed) the people, he added.
Chaubey, who was at Buxar on Wednesday, regretted that many aged and women passengers were harassed due to the delayed movement of trains and the distressed passengers were forced to walk for some distance before the station as no vehicle was allowed and passengers were forced to deboard before the station. Chaubey has demanded an inquiry by the railway ministry into the VVIP treatment of the Chief Minister at the cost of harassment to common passengers.
Nitish Kumar continued his Samadhan Yatra and visited villages in Koelwar and Sandesh blocks in neighbouring Bhojpur district.
BJP leaders staged a dharna at JP round on Thursday in protest against the incident.
