Vande Bharat train hits cow in Gujarat; second such incident in two days
Vadodara(PTI): In the second such incident in two days, the newly-inaugurated Vande Bharat Express train on Friday hit a cow near Anand in Gujarat while on its way to Mumbai, officials said. The incident took place at 3.49 pm between Kanjari and Anand stations, about 433 km from Mumbai, said Sumit Thakur, chief public relations officer of Western Railway. All the passengers were safe, he added.
"The train's front portion has suffered a small dent," he added.
Senior PRO Pradeep Sharma said the train resumed journey within ten minutes after halting. It was not clear immediately if the cow survived the accident.
On Thursday, four buffaloes were killed after being hit by the train on its way to Gandhinagar from Mumbai between Vatva and Maninagar railway stations. Its nose panel had to be replaced overnight due to the damage. The nose panel on the other end suffered a dent in Friday's incident.
Speaking at an event at Anand on Friday, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that collisions with cattle on the tracks were unavoidable.
The train, which can reach the top speed of 160 kmph, has been designed keeping the possibility in mind, he added.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
