Taherpur, Dec. 20: A tragic railway accident claimed the lives of three BJP supporters from Murshidabad in the early hours of Saturday near Taherpur railway station in Nadia. The victims, who had travelled to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public meeting, were struck by a Sealdah-bound local train amid dense fog and near-zero visibility, when they were relieving themselves sitting close to the railway trucks.
The deceased have been identified as Ramprasad Ghosh (74), Saktipada Sutradhar (55), and Gopinath Das (35), all residents of Burwan. Two others, Bhairav Ghosh (47) and Bikash Ghosh (40), sustained critical injuries and are currently undergoing treatment at the Nadia District Hospital in Krishnanagar.
The group had departed Sabaldaha village in Burwan—a region without railway connectivity—around 11 PM on Friday in a chartered bus. Upon reaching the stretch between Taherpur and Badkulla stations at approximately 4:30 AM, the bus halted alongside the tracks.
According to fellow travelers, several members alighted to relieve themselves near the line. Disoriented by thick fog and reportedly curious about the tracks due to the lack of railways in their home district, the victims failed to gauge the distance of the approaching Krishnanagar local. Three were killed instantly.
In Burwan, the news left families devastated. Jamuna Ghosh (68), the physically challenged widow of Ramprasad, struggled to process the loss. “I don’t know how this happened or how I will live my life now,” she said through tears.
Prime Minister Modi, who addressed the gathering virtually from Kolkata after weather conditions prevented his helicopter from landing, began his speech by acknowledging the tragedy.
“I have learnt that while reaching the venue, some BJP supporters were killed in a railway accident,” the Prime Minister said. “I convey my deep condolences to the bereaved family members… and to those who were injured. I wish them a speedy recovery in this hour of distress and shock. We are all with the bereaved families.”
Earlier The incident quickly sparked a sharp exchange between political rivals. Krishnanagar MP Mahua Moitra criticized the BJP on X, accusing the party of “hushing up” the tragedy to proceed with the rally. She alleged that the BJP showed insensitivity by ignoring the deaths at the “altar of @narendramodi ego.”
The TMC leadership moved swiftly, with All India General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee dispatching a delegation to Burwan. Local TMC presidents Mahe Alam Sarkar and Golam Morshed visited the victims’ homes to offer support, stating they were acting on direct instructions from Mamata and Abhishek Banerjee.
Local BJP leaders admitted their delayed response was due to most functionaries being at the rally venue in Nadia. BJP Baharampur District President Malay Mahajan clarified that the leadership would visit the families immediately following the event. Later that afternoon, Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari arrived at the Krishnanagar hospital to pay his respects after the post-mortem examinations were completed.