New Delhi Railway Station Stampede: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday expressed deep sorrow over the tragic stampede at New Delhi railway station, which resulted in the deaths of at least 18 people, including eight from Bihar. The incident, which occurred late Saturday night, also left over a dozen injured.
In his statement, CM Kumar conveyed his condolences and expressed sadness over the loss of lives, particularly of those from Bihar. He announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for those injured in the stampede.
According to the state’s Disaster Management Department, the victims were from various districts in Bihar, including Samastipur (three deaths), Nawada (two), and one each from Vaishali, Patna, and Buxar.
Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi described the incident as “tragic” and attributed it to the heavy rush of passengers attempting to board trains bound for Prayagraj. He assured that compensation would be provided to the affected families.
Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary also expressed condolences, calling the incident “heart-wrenching,” and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.
Meanwhile, political leaders from the opposition criticized the government’s handling of the situation. RJD chief Lalu Prasad accused the BJP-led central government of poor arrangements, demanding the resignation of the Railway Minister. He said, “This incident exposes the inadequate preparations by the central government.”
Leader of Opposition in Bihar Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, called the incident a result of the government’s failure to prioritize the safety of ordinary citizens. “The system has completely collapsed… no arrangements have been made for the common people heading to Prayagraj,” he said, urging the government to fix accountability for the deaths.
The stampede occurred as thousands of passengers scrambled to board overcrowded trains heading to the religious Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj.
(With PTI Inputs)