Elphinstone stampede: Shiv Sena blames BJP, says they had demanded redevelopment of foot over bridge

The Shiv Sena on Friday hit out at ruling BJP for lapses in the stampede on a foot over bridge at Elphinstone railway station in Mumbai. The Sena called the incident a ‘massacre’.

Due to fears of a possible short circuit, a stampede took place on a foot overbridge near the Elphinstone station. As per last reports in, 22 people had died and more than 30 were injured.

“This incident is a public massacre for which the government and railways are responsible. We have time and again demanded that the old and dilapidated foot overbridges be redeveloped but no action has been taken yet,” Sena MP Sanjay Raut told.

“While the government has no time to rectify the shortcomings in the present rail system, it wants to bring in bullet trains,” he added.

Sena MP Arvind Sawant said instead of focusing on the high-speed rail project, the government should work towards providing basic infrastructure at stations and put in place a mechanism to control crowd.

The Lok Sabha MP from Mumbai South said he has raised the issue of local commuters’ plight from time to time in Parliament. “I have repeatedly requested railway officials to look into the issue, but nothing has happened till now.”

“Suresh Prabhu, as railway minister, had announced elevated railway tracks. Where are they?” he asked.

The Shiv Sena MP said several foot overbridges are in poor shape, but nothing is being done to improve their condition.

With PTI inputs