Pahalgam terror attack, Mumbai train incident & Ahmedabad plane crash: Sanjay Raut slams Centre for lack of accountability

Mumbai: In the wake of back-to-back incidents from Pahalgam terror attack, Mumbai train incident and to Ahmedabad plane crash, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader on Friday slammed the Centre for lack of accountability and responsibility over crucial issues. 

“There is Pahalgam terror attack…tourists are not safe…but the Home Minister (Amit Shah) does not take responsibility, people fall from train in Mumbai and die…but the Railway Minister (Ashwini Vaishnaw) does not take responsibility…a passenger jet crashes after take off in Ahmadabad but the Civil Aviation Minister (Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu) does not seem to take responsibility,” Raut told reporters in Mumbai. 

“See the situation in Manipur, no one is taking responsibility,” said Raut, a journalist-politician, who is also the chief spokesperson of Shiv Sena (UBT) led by former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray. 

“(United States President) Donald Trump makes a statement on Operation Sindoor…Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) does not say anything…will he take the responsibility,” he said.

“The incident is shocking and sad,” he said. 

Raut pointed out that he enjoyed a good relationship with senior BJP leader and former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani who died in the plane crash. “He was my Rajya Sabha colleague…in Delhi, we used to stay close to each other…his wife has roots in Konkan…he was a good man,” he said.

“Dreamliner is a top-of-the-line passenger jet. It crashes down in just 30 seconds,” he said, adding that the total casualties including the passengers and those on the ground could well exceed 300.  “Someone has to take the responsibility or not,” he asked. 

“Many of the people who died hail from Maharashtra…majority of the crew were from Mumbai and its neighbouring cities,” he said. 

When pointed out that Modi had gone to Ahmedabad to console people, Raut said, “Yes…I have seen the photos and videos…in fact Uddhav Ji was the first to console people… (Worli MLA) Aaditya (Thackeray) had cancelled his birthday celebrations.” 

“What has happened is painful…Air India once had the image of Maharajah…tomorrow questions will be asked about the civil aviation safety in India…the 242 on board include 53 Britons, seven Portuguese and one Canadian citizen,” he said.

“When Dreamliner was being inducted, BJP raised questions…the then BJP President…the Leaders of Opposition (in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha)….(NCP’s) Praful Patel was the then Civil Aviation Minister,” he pointed out.