Vande Bharat Express row: Giving a twist to a political battle between BJP and TMC over recent stone pelting incidents on the semi-high speed train Vande Bharat Express, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday claimed that the train was pelted with stones in neighbouring Bihar, and not her state.
She said legal action will be taken against those media outlets that spread "fake news" that the incidents took place in West Bengal, bringing a bad name to the state.
"Vande Bharat was pelted with stones in Bihar and not in West Bengal. We will take legal action against those media outlets that telecast fake news that the incident took place in West Bengal and brought a bad name to our state," Banerjee told reporters before leaving Sagar Island.
"Vande Bharat is nothing special. It is just an old train refurbished with a new engine," she said.
Banerjee concluded her two-day visit to the island to oversee the preparations for the Gangasagar Mela that begins on January 8.
The Howrah-New Jalpaiguri Vande Bharat Express was on Tuesday pelted with stones for the second time, days after it was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Railway authorities on Thursday claimed they have identified those who threw stones at the train. The incident sparked a slugfest between the BJP and Trinamool Congress.
Bihar police arrest 3 boys in connection with the matter
Meanwhile, Bihar police arrested three minor boys in the Kishanganj district in connection with a recent incident of hurling stones at the Howrah-New Jalpaiguri Vande Bharat Express train.
According to a statement issued by the Kishanganj police, a case was registered on Thursday morning in connection with the incident that had taken place a couple of days ago.
"Information was received at around 10.30 am today, from railway officials, that a coach of the Vande Bharat Express was vandalized by stone-pelters on January 3, around 12.55 pm", said the police.
Two incidents of stone pelting
Stones were pelted on the newly-launched Vande Bharat Express, near the Phansidewa area in West Bengal's Darjeeling district on Tuesday (January 3). This was the second such case after stones were pelted on the train near Malda station a day earlier. According to reports, the second incident happened when the train was running between Howrah and New Jalpaiguri. Meanwhile, officials said that a case has been registered under u/s 154 of the Railways Act at the RPF post.
When the Vande Bharat controversy started
On December 30, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee refused to get up on the dais from where the Vande Bharat express to New Jalpaiguri was flagged off as some people present at the event sloganeered `Jai Shri Ram’ in front of her.
However, the chants stirred up a political controversy with TMC taking exception to the mouthing of what they termed as a party slogan in a Government program made more solemn by the death of a family member of the Prime Minister and the BJP stating it was normal for their workers to be excited by an event which would be inaugurated by the PM.
Stones pelted at Vande Bharat Express; BJP asks is this revenge for 'Jai Shree Ram' chants
Newly-launched Vande Bharat Express, connecting Howrah to New Jalpaiguri, was stones pelted near Malda station, West Bengal, said an official on Tuesday.
Hours after the incident, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari took to Twitter to slam West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee linking it to 'Jai Shree Ram' chants incident that took place on the Inaugural day of the premium train.
"Unfortunate & sickening. Stones pelted at India's pride Vande Bharat Express in WB's Malda district. Is this revenge for 'Jai Shree Ram' chants on the Inaugural day? I urge
@PMOIndia & @RailMinIndia to handover the probe to @NIA_India & punish the perpetrators. @AshwiniVaishnaw," BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari tweeted.
