Leaders of major political parties in Tamil Nadu on Saturday expressed deep condolences to the families of those killed in the train accident in Odisha, and demanded that the rescue and relief efforts be expedited.
AIADMK general secretary and Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami said he was deeply saddened by the accident, especially on hearing that many people from Tamil Nadu were affected. He urged the Tamil Nadu government to take all necessary measures to ensure the wellbeing of those injured, and safely bring them back home.
Expressing condolences to the families of the deceased, Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran urged Tamil Nadu Ministers and officials visiting Odisha to take necessary action to help Tamil Nadu people affected in the accident.
Detailed probe and action demanded
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president K.S. Alagiri termed the Odisha rail accident unfortunate, and extended his condolences to families of those who had lost their lives. Alleging that train accidents have increased in recent years, he blamed the Union government for its “lackadaisical’ attitude for the accident. He lauded the efforts taken by the Tamil Nadu government towards the rescue and relief of the people from the State, affected in the accident.
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Both Mr. Alagiri and TNCC Legislative Party leader K. Selvaperunthagai demanded that Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw resign, taking responsibility for the accident. Mr. Selvaperunthagai said the railways should look into the reasons behind the accident, and take measures to ensure that such incidents do not take place in the future. He also called for the dismissal of railway officials responsible for the accident.
PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss said the Centre should order a detailed probe into the accident. He urged the State government to provide all possible help and provide sufficient compensation to the families of the deceased and injured. PMK founder S. Ramadoss called for appropriate relief measures and quality treatment for those who have been injured in the accident.
Compensation not adequate, says TMC
Tamil Maanila Congress president G.K. Vasan said that the ex-gratia amount announced for the families of those killed in the accident was inadequate. He demanded that a family member of all those killed be provided a job in the railways and the compensation announced for those injured, be increased. PM Modi had announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF).
Stating that the railways should have ensured that there were no lapses when it came to safety, he demanded that a detailed probe be conducted by a high-level committee to identify the cause for the accident.
Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) chief coordinator Seeman said the Centre should clarify on the reason behind the accident. He also called for speeding up relief measures.
DMDK founder Vijayakanth also urged the Centre to launch a probe and find out the real cause of the accident, and to take measures to ensure this does not happen again. He also the demanded resignation of the Union Railway Minister.
Makkal Needhi Maiam founder and actor Kamal Haasan said the train accident has caused shockwaves around the world and was one of the greatest tragedies in Indian history. “Let us stand with those affected and help them recover,” he said.
Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai said the BJP has cancelled all the activities planned for its ongoing campaign to publicise the achievements of the Union government over the past nine years. He said BJP functionaries, including Indian Railways’ Passenger Amenities Committee member M.K. Ravichandran, were coordinating with the rescue and relief efforts.
