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higher speed hit those on the tracks watching Ra-
vana’s burning effigy. He defended his wife saying
she was not at fault being the chief guest at the func-
tion. Mithoo Madaan, their supporter and son of the
local Congress Councillor, who was main organizers
of the event, termed it as a natural disaster after he
reappeared before the media days after remaining
underground.
Amarinder Singh Entire top brass of the state administration de-
meets the victims scended at Amritsar immediately after the mishap.
of the train accident Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sharma also
reached. Brahm Mohindra, the chairman of the crisis
management panel set up by the CM camped at Am-
machinery voluntarily assisted by the NGO and ritsar to monitor the relief operations. Though iden-
other community members, blame game was on. As tification and processing of the kin of the deceased
the rivals targeted Sidhu seeking his resignation or was a challenging task yet coordinated efforts by all
dismissal from the Cabinet, the firebrand Congress concerned resulted in disbursement of compensa-
leader and bête noire of Akalis especially the Badals tion cheques to the first batch of 38 affected families
blamed the train driver alleging the train otherwise on the fifth day after the mishap. As many as 46 fami-
known for running slow was moving at unusually lies of the deceased were handed cheques till filing

Countering the
no prominent Congress leader and lawmaker except the Chief
Minister and the state Congress president defended him publicly. allegations, Punjab
This also explains his isolation within the party. Sidhu was seen
unusually subdued for a few days though he defended his wife Minister Navjot Singh
who was accused by the rivals of leaving the venue even as
the bodies were strewn around on the rail tracks and the injured Sidhu said that train
crying for help.
But, he was back to his original self a few days later as relief running over Dussehra
cheques were disbursed in quick time which helped assuage
the sentiments to a great extent. Even as he launched a political revellers in Amritsar
counter offensive, yet avoided visiting the affected area in his
constituency and homes of the aggrieved families days after the
tragedy. To be fair to him, he did his bit to earn confidence and was an accident and
general empathy as he announced to adopt affected families to
bring their shattered lives back on rails. Even his wife, who is a that nobody had done
qualified doctor, personally attended the injured at hospital on the
fateful night. it intentionally
Hardly had the recent controversy died down over his Pakistan
visit on swearing in ceremony of Imran Khan as the Prime Minister
and subsequent comments on opening of Kartarpur Corridor on
the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, he faces another
one which has the potential of denting him politically. The main of this report. The process of compensating the 137
organiser of the Dusshera event and his known loyal supporter, injured too had been started.
has not yet dared return to his home in the area. On October 29, “Immediately after the tragic incident, the first call
the High Court rejecting a plea on the train mishap as politically I received from the CM’s office was to first ensure
motivated, should be a big relief for Sidhu. This may help him take free treatment of the injured and attend to related
on his rivals with renewed vigour, yet he will have to do a lot of relief measures. This was on the top of the priorities
groundwork to tide over the political crisis, much of which is of list. We deputed officers in all the 10 hospitals where
his own creation. the injured were brought so as to get exact idea of the
number of the affected people and ensure, besides
treatment, that they are connected with their rela-

tehelka / 15 november 2018 17 www.tehelka.com

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