LAGATAR24 NETWORK
Dumka, April 9: It was as if history was being repeated by the supporters of the BJP and ruling allies indulged in a demonstration of their political might at Godda railway station on Friday during the flagging off ceremony of the Godda-Ranchi intercity express train online by the Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav from New Delhi.
On April 8 last year, the inaugural event of the train service from Godda had witnessed fierce conflict between the local BJP MP Nishikant Dubey and his bete noire Congress’ MLA from Podaiyahaat Pradeep Yadav when the Hamsafar Express was formally introduced to the newly established facility.
This time also, the speech of the railway minister to praise Godda BJP MP Nishikant Dubey apparently did not go down well with the rival leaders who made it a point to lambast railway authorities for not listing the district Congress president Dinesh Yadav to be the speaker on the occasion although his counterpart in the BJP Rajiv Mehta was given the opportunity to address the gathering.
“Your MP (Nishikant Dubey) happens to be the most serious about the works to be undertaken in his constituency and often calls on me to inquire about the projects,” Vaishnav said while addressing from the Railway Bhawan.
Earlier, Dubey along with local BJP MLA Amit Mandal preferred not to share the dias with Yadav and other ruling party dignitaries including state transport minister Champai Soren and Mahgama Congress MLA Deepika Pandey and sat in the front VIP row of the audience side as cadres and supporters of either factions continued raising slogans in the favour of their leaders.
Taking the opportunity to grill the state government Dubey accused the ruling dispensation of not contributing to various railway projects causing a delay in getting them completed in the due time frame.
“If the state government is as sincere then why the lands and money are not being handed over to the Railway causing an abnormal delay in finalising them all,” Dubey said asking Champai Soren sarcastically why he (Champai) failed to ensure train connectivity in his own constituency.
