Former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has demanded an apology from the Railway Ministry for forcing people from Bihar to “travel like cattle” in trains during festivals. Mr. Kumar, a former Railway Minister, has also sought compensation for passengers for the problems caused to them by “mishaps and mismanagement” as in the incident at the New Delhi railway station a few days ago; a Bihar-bound traveller lost his life after slipping onto the railway tracks.
In a Facebook post, Mr. Kumar said: “People are forced to travel like cattle in Bihar-bound trains. Despite having reserved tickets, they are forced to travel even in toilets … the Railway Ministry has become worthless.”
Mr. Kumar demanded that the Railway Minister apologise to the people and take action; the kin of the man who lost his life be compensated and given jobs in Railways; and proper treatment be provided to those injured in accidents and the Railways should refund the ticket fee to those denied facilities they had paid for. The Railway Ministry has said it has made arrangements to run special trains to Bihar for the festival rush.
