Mamata Warns Maoists, Asks Not to Target Railways

Warning Maoists, Railway Minster Mamata Banerjee has asked them not to target railways and innocent passengers to mount pressure on the government to yield to their demands.

“I want to tell those who carry out subversive activities and play with the human lives that if you want to fight, fight politically, fight like a brave not as a coward,” she said after flagging off six new trains from the Howrah station in Kolkata on Wednesday.

Shocked with the reports that the rebels are removing fish plates along 400 metres of railway tracks near Girdhni in West Midnapore on Wednesday, she said that Maoists are battling like cowards and targeting the railways.

“Sabotaging trains, killing people is fighting like cowards,” she added.

She said that ensuring passenger security was her topmost concern and that she was not politically biased while shouldering her duty as the Railway Minister.

Banerjee also announced that anybody helping the railway avoid accidents would be rewarded.

The trains which were flagged off included the Howrah-Bangaluru (Bangalore) Duranto Express, Howrah-Purulia Express, Howrah-New Delhi Yuva Express, Kolkata-Bikaner Express, Howrah-Haridwar Express and Sealdah-Amritsar Express.

The Sealdah-Amritsar train was flagged off through remote control.