The Vande Bharat Express was hit by stones in Howrah district on Wednesday — the third such incident since eastern India’s first semi-high-speed train was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 30.
The train had left Howrah station and was en route to New Jalpaiguri when unidentified people hurled stones at one of the compartments between Chandanpur and Porabazar stations in Hooghly district.
“The incident occurred around 6.40am. One of the glass window panes on an AC chair car coach (C 5) developed cracks,” said a source.
Asked about the attack, an official of Eastern Railway said: “We do not have official information about the attack. Once the train returns to Howrah and enters the yard, we will inspect it and only then can we comment on it.”
However, Hooghly (rural) police district officers confirmed the incident.
“The Government Railway Police (GRP) is investigating the case. We are extending all possible assistance to them,” said a senior police officer.
When the train reached NJP, RPF personnel inspected the coach hit by the stones and clicked photos of the damaged window.
The Vande Bharat Express had been pelted with stones on two occasions earlier. The first incident took place at Kumarganj near Samsi railway station in Malda district on January 1. The following day, some boys allegedly stoned the train while it was passing through Mangurjan station in Bihar’s Kishanganj district.
After the two incidents, the police of Bihar and Bengal, along with the Railway Protection Force (RPF), started investigations. In Bihar, three minors, who were suspected to be involved in the incident, were detained.
The RPF authorities, on the other hand, started an awareness drive among the residents of villages located along the NJP-Howrah route to avert such incidents.
After the first two attacks, a number of BJP leaders launched a broadside against the Bengal government.
When it emerged that the second attack took place in Bihar, Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee obliquely accused the BJP of trying to malign the image of the state.
“There are some people whose job is to keep on insulting Bengal and the residents of the state. I condemn those who have been insulting us. We will find a solution to get rid of such fake information that is being circulated against Bengal,” she said in Gangasagar on Thursday.
After the latest incident on Monday, the BJP upped the ante.
“Vande Bharat train is being attacked in Bengal again and again. This is creating problem for the commuters and bringing a bad name for the state. Meanwhile, WB CM is yet to take any strong action,” state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar tweeted.
