Kanpur train accident: Congress slams PM Modi over his remark

The Congress on Saturday came down heavily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his Kanpur train accident remark, questioning if ISI had been guilty, why was allowed to investigate the Pathankot attack.

Congress leader Tom Vadakkan expressed shock over discussing an intelligence report in a public rally, adding that why was nothing been done yet.

"If it is the ISI, why was the ISI invited to Pathankot? Who hand delivered Masood Azhar to Pakistan. The Prime Minister needs to answer these questions. If there is ISI link, why has nothing been done yet? Why aren't the guilty been exposed? Why is investigation not in its proper place?" Vadakkan told ANI.

Resonating similar sentiment, another Congress leader Shobha Oza condemned the Prime Minister for 'stooping down' and questioned the action taken in the Pathankot attack.

"It is very unfortunate that the Prime Minister of a country discusses such issues, or stoops down to discussing such issues in a political rally.He uses such issues to politicise, which is very unfortunate. When they were in power in Punjab, how did terrorists reach Pathankot and why did they allow the ISI team to come and investigate there. Why do we see terrorists attack various parts of Jammu and Kashmir everyday while they are in power there? He needs to answer all these questions," Oza told ANI.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday blamed conspirators sitting in Nepal for the November 2016 train derailment in Kanpur that claimed lives of 149 people.

"Kanpur rail accident in which hundreds were killed was a conspiracy and the conspirators carried it out sitting across the border (Nepal)," said the Prime Minister while addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh's Gonda.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had in February confirmed that Dubai-based Shamshul Huda was the "mastermind" for the sabotage behind the Indore-Patna Express train accident in Kanpur on November 16, 2016.