'You ask them anything, they will pass the blame': Rahul Gandhi slams Indian government over triple train tragedy

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday hit out at the BJP-led government over the Odisha triple train accident, claiming that the only ideology that it espouses is to make excuses, not accept the reality.

The horrific collision and derailment, involving two passenger trains and a goods train, claimed the lives of 275 passengers and left over 1,000 injured.

Addressing the Indian diaspora in New York as part of his ongoing visit to the US, Rahul on Monday said that in the wake of a similar train tragedy when the Congress was in power at the Centre, the then minister in charge of the railways had owned moral responsibility and resigned.

"I remember a train accident when the Congress party was in power. The Congress did not say that the train crashed because of the fault of the British. The Congress minister (in charge of the Railways ministry at the time) said, 'It's my responsibility and I'm resigning'. So, this is the problem we have back home: we make excuses and do not accept the reality," the Congress leader said.

Rahul claimed further that the BJP had the habit of not owning up to their mistakes and shifting blame, instead, to the Congress when questioned.

"You ask them (BJP) anything; they will look back and pass the blame. Ask them how the Odisha train accident happened. They will talk about what the Congress did 50 years ago," the Congress leader added.

The triple train accident involved the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Coromandel Express and a goods train on three separate tracks at Bahanaga Bazar station in the Balasore district of Odisha.

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