Mamata Banerjee on Monday launched a broadside against the Narendra Modi government in the backdrop of the train collision in Darjeeling district, alleging that the BJP dispensation was more focused on vanity railway projects than the safety of passengers.

“I don’t know what is happening in this country. If the administration is so negligent, there is such nuisance…. Total rail department is facing callousness of the (Union) government,” said the Bengal chief minister, a former seven-term MP who was railway minister over multiple stints during both the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA and UPA II regimes.

“There is no separate (railways) budget. The rail ministry still exists. But the railways’ madhurjyo (grace or charm, or loveliness) of the past, they have ruined it. Railways have become totally parentless,” she added at the Calcutta airport, on her way to north Bengal in the afternoon, after having overseen rescue, relief and restoration operations remotely since 9am.

“You can now see the railways only at the time of inauguration. So many talking points, so many things said… beautification of words, just like it’s a fashion. But they don’t take care of the passenger amenities… only hiking fares.”

The Trinamool Congress chairperson accused the saffron regime of prioritising electoral malpractice over everything else.

“This government is careful only to take so many measures about the elections. How to go for hacking… manipulation, rig the election…. Where will the country go? Is it not a mockery?” she asked.

“I think they should give more time for governance, not for utterance,” added Mamata. “People have to opt for bikes or cycles, nowadays, instead of the railways. What has happened to the railways?”

Mamata also attacked the Centre over reduced air connectivity for Calcutta and north Bengal and demanded answers on the alleged dragging of its feet over the proper implementation of the anti-collision system, which could reduce the impact of such accidents.

“Repeated accidents… the one that took place near Puri (Bahanaga, in June last year), I had gone. There are still so many unclaimed, unidentified bodies, they will probably cremate them at one go,” she said, referring to the collision that had claimed nearly 300 lives, injuring over 1,200 others.

“Accidents can always happen. Nobody can control an accident, it’s a fact. But it is also a fact, I had readied the anti-collision device in my time. From the Metro railways to Vande Bharat… everything is being copied from my time. No amenities, no safety, rising fares,” added the chief minister. “This place is a black spot. The Gaisal tragedy (of 1999) had taken place not far from here. This could have been so much worse, today.”

She spoke at length on some of the crucial upgrades or infrastructure developments that had taken place in her stint at the helm of the Rail Bhavan, such as upgrading the signalling system, introducing anti-collision devices (ACDs), and converting hundreds of unmanned crossings to manned level crossings across India.

“In my tenure, we had upgraded the technology, the telecom system, and adopted the usage of ACDs. In fact, I had personally gone to Madgaon and met Konkan Railway officials, where trials for these ACDs were held,” said the Trinamool chief later in the day, outside the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) in Siliguri.

“All these upgrades in the railways have happened because of the efforts of my time, of previous governments…. They want to call them by different names… that’s their matter,” she added. “First, save the people, then make lofty claims…. Everything that is inaugurated now, nothing is new, everything was part of my Vision 2020 for the railways, I had earmarked the funds for everything.”

She had made it clear at Calcutta that she wasn’t going to go to the spot, near the New Jalpaiguri station, as all the necessary rescue, relief, and restoration operations had already been undertaken by the administration under her instructions and monitoring. By then, railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had visited the accident site, at Rangapani.

Vaishnaw said he met all the people concerned and appreciated how everyone came together for prompt rescue and restoration. “Inquiries have begun, all data points, all data logs are being examined. Restoration of normality, as soon as possible, is our foremost priority now,” he said.

Asked to respond to Mamata’s allegations, he said: “This is not the time for politics.”

“The entire focus now should be on rescue and restoration. Passenger safety is a major area of focus, of complete focus. I will address this in detail later,” added the railways minister.