Opp disrupts Laloo speech

Amid uproarious scenes, Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav today made a statement in Parliament on the Sabarmati Express accident which lef...

Amid uproarious scenes, Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav today made a statement in Parliament on the Sabarmati Express accident which left 16 people killed and 137 injured.

‘‘Prima facie, the accident was caused due to gross negligence…on the part of Railway employees,’’ Laloo said in his statement. ‘‘These employees have been placed under suspension.’’

Opposition BJP members started making noises as soon as Laloo began making the statement. BJP members stood in the aisles, demanding Laloo’s resignation for his involvement in the fodder scam. The RJD members, in response, demanded the dismissal of the Narendra Modi government in Bihar for the alleged attack on Laloo.

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It was only after Speaker Somnath Chatterjee threatened members of both the sides with serious action that they returned to their seats.

Continuing his statement, Laloo said: ‘‘I inform with sorrow that when I went to visit the injured passengers at Sayaji Hospital at Vadodara, some members of the Bajrang Dal, RSS and VHP shouted slogans, hurled abuses and attacked my vehicle breaking its windscreen, and tried to hurt me physically.’’

‘‘They threw water bottles and ice at me. The Railway Board chairman and other officials of the Board were also pelted stones,’’ he added.

At this point, the BJP members just walked out of the House in protest, shouting slogans.

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Giving details of the attack, the Railway Minister said, ‘‘In the hospital premises, a former minister of the Gujarat government was seen instigating the Bajrang Dal, RSS and VHP activists. Because of their indecent behaviour, I was not able to visit some of the injured passengers.’’ He also alleged that he was not provided enough security and the district authorities stood as ‘‘mute spectators’’.