Mob lynching in name of cow vigilantism 'blot on democracy':Mayawati

Lucknow, Sept 16: Terming mob lynching in the name of cow vigilantism as a "blot on democracy", BSP supremo Mayawati Sunday accused the BJP governments of

laxity and indifference on the issue.

"The increasing tendency of indulging in mob lynching in the name of cow vigilantism in the BJP-ruled states is a blot on democracy, yet the governments are exercising laxity and are being indifferent to it," Mayawati told reporters here.

"These activities of the BJP governments (against the Dalits, tribals, backwards, Muslims and Christians) are going on since inception and are result of the BJP's intention to go against the Constitution and maintaining a step-motherly relationship with the Constitution. This has been the part of the basic policy of the BJP, which has assumed alarming proportions after they came to power."

Mayawati was speaking to reporters here after she moved into her new residence vacating her sprawling bungalow on Supreme Court orders.

Accusing the BJP of resorting to different diversionary tactics as 2019 Lok Sabha elections are approaching, Mayawati said the saffron party is making lucrative announcements and not leaving any stone unturned to derive advantage from the demise of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

"...They never followed his (Vajpayee's) footsteps, when he was alive," she charged.

The BSP supremo's statement assumes significance as Sunday marks completion of one month of death of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Mayawati said: "People of the country know that the campaign undertaken by the BJP and the RSS in the name of Vajpayee is an attempt to hide its failures. The BJP will not get any benefit from this. The people of the country now understand that none of the election promises made in 2014 Lok Sabha elections was fulfilled."

Referring to demonetisation, Mayawati alleged it was implemented in an unplanned manner leading to "financial emergency".

She claimed some persons also lost their lives due to the withdrawal of high value currency notes.

"It exploited the labourers, farmers, small traders and hardworking people. Time has come to seek a report. The BJP has no consolation to offer to the people in the aftermath of demonetisation," Mayawati said.

Comments

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

Rajdhani Express Derails, 7 elephants killed after collision in Assam

News Network

December 20,2025

At least seven elephants were killed and one calf injured after a herd collided with the Sairang-New Delhi Rajdhani Express in Assam's Hojai on Saturday morning, leading to disruption of rail services.

The Sairang-New Delhi Rajdhani Express struck a herd of elephants, resulting in the derailment of the locomotive and five coaches. No passenger casualties or injuries were reported, officials said.

The New Delhi-bound train met with the accident around 2.17 am, PTI reported. The Sairang-New Delhi Rajdhani Express connects Mizoram's Sairang (near Aizawl) to Anand Vihar Terminal (Delhi).

Railway has issued helpline numbers at the Guwahati Railway Station:-

•   0361-2731621
•   0361-2731622
•   0361-2731623

The accident site is located about 126 km from Guwahati. Following the incident, accident relief trains and railway officials rushed to the spot to initiate rescue operations.

Train Services Disrupted

Sources said that due to the derailment and elephant body parts scattered on the tracks, train services to Upper Assam and other parts of the Northeast were affected.

Passengers from the affected coaches were temporarily accommodated in vacant berths available in other coaches of the train. Once the train reaches Guwahati, additional coaches will be attached to accommodate all passengers, after which the train will resume its onward journey.

The incident occurred at a location that is not a designated elephant corridor. The loco pilot, upon spotting the herd on the tracks, applied emergency brakes. Despite this, the elephants dashed into the train, leading to the collision and derailment.

Last month, an elephant was killed after being hit by a train in Dhupguri in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district. The incident took place on November 30.

The adult elephant was killed on the spot, and a calf was discovered lying injured beside the tracks.

Over 70 Elephants Killed In Train Collisions Over Last 5 Years

At least 79 elephants have died in train collisions across the country in the last five years, the Environment Ministry had informed Parliament in August.

In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh had said the figure is based on reports from state governments and Union Territory administrations for the period 2020-21 to 2024-25.

He said that the ministry does not maintain consolidated data on the deaths of other wild animals on railway tracks, including in designated elephant corridors.

Singh confirmed that three elephants, including a mother and her calf, were killed on July 18 this year after being hit by a speeding express train on the Kharagpur-Tatanagar section in West Bengal's Paschim Midnapore district. The incident took place near Banstala between Jhargram and Banstala stations.

The minister said several measures have been taken jointly by the Environment Ministry and the Railways to prevent such accidents.

These include imposing speed restrictions in elephant habitats, pilot projects such as seismic sensor-based detection of elephants near tracks and construction of underpasses, ramps and fencing at vulnerable points.

The Wildlife Institute of India, in consultation with the ministry and other stakeholders, has also issued guidelines titled 'Eco-friendly Measures to Mitigate Impacts of Linear Infrastructure' to help agencies design railways and other projects in ways that reduce human-animal conflicts.

Singh added that capacity-building workshops were conducted for railway officials at the Wildlife Institute of India in 2023 and 2024 to raise awareness on elephant conservation and protection.

A detailed report titled 'Suggested Measures to Mitigate Elephant & Other Wildlife Train Collisions on Vulnerable Railway Stretches in India' had also been prepared after surveys across 127 railway stretches covering 3,452 km.

Of these, 77 stretches spanning 1,965 km in 14 states were prioritised for mitigation, with site-specific interventions suggested.

Comments