Will probe root cause of rail accidents, conspiracy will not last long: Amit Shah

New Delhi: Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said any conspiracy to cause railway accidents will not last long and the government will soon unveil an initiative for the protection of the 1.10 lakh km railway network across the country.

The home minister’s remarks came in the wake of a series of railway accidents, most of which appeared to be attempts at sabotage as obstructions were placed on the railway tracks.

Addressing a press conference to mark 100 days of the third tenure of the BJP-led NDA government, Shah said he had discussed the issue of railway safety with Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw over the last two days.

“As far as accidents are concerned, we will investigate the root cause of this. Whatever the reason, the government is committed to addressing the issue. If this is a conspiracy, it will not last long. If there are gaps, they will be plugged,” Shah said with Vaishnaw by his side.

Shah said the CBI, NIA, Railway Police and the Home Ministry were preparing a scheme for the protection of the railway network to ensure there is no sabotage.

“We have taken a strong view of the recent incidents and will come out with a scheme to address it,” Shah said.

Congress had claimed that there were 38 railway accidents in the first 100 days of the third tenure of the Modi government and accused Vaishnaw of dismissing these as “minor incidents”.

Shah said the railway network has been expanding during the tenure of the Modi government and the people were witness to it.

The home minister said, in the first 100 days since assuming office for the third consecutive term, the government has approved eight new railway line projects for faster and convenient travel by train.

These projects are expected to generate 4.42 crore human days of employment, Shah said.