West Bengal: Stones Pelted At Howrah-New Jalpaiguri Vande Bharat Express Four Days After Launch

Just four days after its launch, the Howrah-New Jalpaiguri Vande Bharat Express came under stone pelting from unidentified miscreants in northern Bengal.

The incident, which took place near Kumarganj station in Malda district, is under investigation by Railways authorities. A case has been registered under Section 154 of the Railways Act.

As per reports, the incident took place at 5:30pm. The duty staff reported damages to coach C-13 of the train. No passengers were injured, while one main door glass and several windows faced damage.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had virtually inaugurated the semi-high-speed train on 30 December 2022. The train is the first Vande Bharat Express train both in West Bengal and eastern India.

It has already triggered an exchange of allegations from both the ruling party and the opposition in the state.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari has called the incident “unfortunate and sickening”, while Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Kunal Ghosh called it a “well planned conspiracy”.