Vande Bharat train with MP Chandra Shekhar Azad onboard stoned in UP

Azad Samaj Party-Kanshi Ram MP Chandra Shekhar Azad on Sunday claimed that stones were thrown at the Vande Bharat train coach in which he was travelling, damaging its glass, and asked the railway minister and the administration to take strict steps to check such incidents.

He also urged parents and teachers to make children aware of the issue.

In a post on X, Azad said, "This morning I was travelling from Delhi to Kanpur by Vande Bharat train. As soon as the train crossed Kamalpur station in Bulandshahr district at around 7:12 am, some antisocial element threw stones from outside, due to which the glass near the passenger sitting two seats ahead of me got shattered."

"I was shocked and stunned by this incident. This incident not only caused damage to government property but also raised questions on the safety of passengers. Such incidents are reprehensible and cannot be accepted at any cost," Azad, who is MP from Nagina seat in Uttar Pradesh, said.

Asked about the incident, Railway Protection Force sub-inspector, Manoj Gautam said that the matter is being probed.

Azad said according to a report, there were 1,503 such incidents in 2022, causing loss of crores of rupees to the Railways.

"This figure forces one to think why such incidents are happening again and again. Stone pelting on trains not only causes damage to property, but it can also prove fatal for the passengers," he said.

There is a need to understand that railways are a valuable asset of the country and its protection is the responsibility of all of us citizens of the country, he said, adding such acts not only create a feeling of insecurity but also harm the image of our country.

To prevent such incidents, the Union Railway Minister, railway police and administration should take strict steps as well as spread awareness in society, he said.

"My request is that it is necessary for parents and teachers in schools to make children aware of this subject. This will not only reduce such incidents but will also ensure the safety of railway passengers," Azad said.

"This country is ours, and the protection of the country's property is not only the moral responsibility and constitutional fundamental duty of the government but also of all of us," he said.

Azad tagged the railways and the minister concerned in his post