AAP questions contradictory statements on Delhi stampede

New Delhi [India], February 16 (ANI): Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the centre over the statement given by the Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Northern Railways (NR) regarding the New Delhi railway station stampede incident, accusing the government of "lying".
"Look at the shamelessness of the BJP government: the government is lying even after people died in the train accident," AAP posed on X with a video, which reflects contradictory views on the stampede, which killed 18 people, including three children.
In the video, CPRO NR Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay on early Sunday morning claimed that no scheduled train was cancelled and there was no change in the platform for scheduled trains.
"No train was cancelled, nor was there any change in platform...to say that a train was cancelled or the platform was changed is wrong," Upadhyay said in the video.
However, a coolie at the railway station said that Prayagraj Special was shifted from platform number 12 to platform number 16, which is when the crowd collided and fell on the stairs.
"Prayagraj Special was supposed to leave from platform number 12, but it was shifted to platform number 16. When the crowd waiting at Platform 12 and the crowd waiting outside tried to reach Platform 16, people started colliding and fell on the escalator and stairs. Several collies gathered there to stop the crowd. We took at least 15 bodies and loaded them in an Ambulance. There were only shoes and clothes on the platform," the coolie told ANI.
Reacting to this, AAP chief national spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar lashed out at the government in a veiled attack, saying that the CPRO's statement comes on the orders of his "masters".
"The CPRO, on the orders of his masters, said that there was no stampede, and it was just a rumour. The media is running the information given by the same CPRO as the truth. Couldn't even muster the courage to cross-question him as to why the information provided by him and the eyewitness account is completely different," Kakkar posted on X.
Congress party on Sunday demanded the resignation of Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw over the New Delhi railway station stampede, which killed 18 people, including three children, saying that he had no "moral right" to continue in his position.
Speaking at a press conference, Congress leader Supriya Shrinate said the Railway Minister must take responsibility for the mishap and called on the central government to dismiss him.
Earlier today, former Union Railway Minister and RJD Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav on Sunday said that the Railway's mismanagement led to the stampede.
The stampede occurred around 10 pm when thousands of devotees were heading to Prayagraj Mahakumbh, causing severe overcrowding at the station.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Railway, KPS Malhotra, the incident occurred when a large number of passengers gathered on platform no. 14, where the Prayagraj Express was stationed. Additionally, delays in the departures of the Swatantrata Senani Express and Bhubaneswar Rajdhani led to further congestion at platforms 12, 13, and 14.
An eyewitness described the chaos, stating that the crowd came from both sides after an announcement about a train platform change, leading to the stampede. Another eyewitness recounted the horror, saying that the crowd was beyond control. People from the administration and even NDRF personnel were there, but when the crowd exceeded the limit, it was impossible to manage them.
Most of the bodies of the deceased brought to the national capital's Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital following the stampede at the New Delhi Railway station had injuries on their chest and abdomen areas, with asphyxia being the likely cause of death, according to RML hospital sources.
A compensation of Rs 10 lakh was announced by the Indian Railways for the families of the deceased who lost their lives in the tragic incident.
Additionally, the Indian Railways announced a compensation of Rs 2.5 lakh for those seriously injured in the incident and Rs 1 lakh for those with minor injuries. (ANI)