The blue-white semi superfast Vande Bharat Express will stop at a total of 20 stations to reach its destination on Friday’s inaugural journey. According to railway data, most of these 20 stations are in North Bengal. As a result, South Bengal is neglected in the initial journey. And this is where the accusations of discrimination started floating in the air. Meanwhile, state BJP president and BJP MP from Balurghat Sukant Majumder wrote a letter asking for the stoppage of the Vande Bharat Express at Kabiguru’s Santiniketan. As a public representative of Bengal, he is making this demand in the letter to the Railway Minister.
Meanwhile, it is late December 30. Bengal’s first Bande Bharat Express will start its journey. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is coming to Howrah to inaugurate. 9 Union Ministers are supposed to be there. The Howrah to New Jalpaiguri route is scheduled to stop at New Farakka and Malda Town stations. But a letter was sent to the railway minister’s office asking for one more stoppage. State BJP president Sukant Majumdar himself sent the letter. He claimed that Vande Bharat Express stops at Santiniketan-Bolpur station in Kabiguru. Apart from the three stations scheduled on the first day i.e. Bolpur, Malda Town and Barsai, additional 17 stations will stand as Bande Bharat, Railways claims.
And what is Sukantar’s demand? He has written a letter to the Railway Minister. Sukanth Majumder’s claim regarding the stoppage, many students and tourists from home and abroad come to Santiniketan throughout the year. This Bolpur Santiniketan is not connected by air. So if the Bande Bharat train stops at Bolpur-Santiniketan, you will see people. And you will benefit. People from every section of the society will applaud if the stoppage is given at Bolpur-Shantiniketan. Railways claim that the only reason for giving extra stops is to introduce the train to the general public and make them visual. Despite this argument, however, questions remain. Is South Bengal becoming a bit bratya when it comes to giving stops? Because in South Bengal, the train will not stop anywhere without a stop in a handful of stations. However, Bande Bharat Express will stop at Bolpur on the first day.
What else did he write in the letter? At the end of the letter sent to the Railway Minister, Sukant Majumder wrote, ‘As a public representative and a person of Bengal, my personal request is to stop Bande Bharat Express at Bolpur-Shantiniketan station.’ After Sukantar’s claim about Vande Bharat Express, Eastern Railway’s Chief Public Relations Officer said, ‘We are only trying to tap into common people’s emotions. So there are twenty stops on the first day. Of course most of them are from North Bengal. But when the commercial run starts, Bande Bharat will stop at only three stops. Bolpur, Malda Town, Barsai.’