Lalu slams Centre over 'inhumane' train conditions for Chhath

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo and former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav on Saturday accused the Centre of neglecting Bihar-bound passengers during the Chhath Puja rush, alleging that inadequate train services had left thousands travelling in “inhumane conditions”.

In a social media post, Lalu Prasad shared a video showing overcrowded compartments, with passengers crammed into aisles and perched atop luggage racks, as they made their way home for one of the state’s most important festivals.

In a post on X, Prasad wrote: “The uncrowned king of lies and the leader of empty promises had boasted that out of the country's total 13,198 trains, 12,000 would be operated for Bihar on the occasion of Chhath festival. This, too, turned out to be a blatant lie. My fellow Biharis are forced to travel in trains in an inhumane manner.”

His remarks were a pointed response to BJP president J.P. Nadda, who had recently told a rally in Bihar that the railway ministry had raised the number of special trains to 12,000 to accommodate festival travellers this year.

Prasad accused the Centre of betraying the people of Bihar, saying those who have endured “the pain of migration for the last 20 years of the NDA rule” are still unable to secure safe and comfortable passage home during the annual festival.

“They are being forced to travel in inhumane conditions in packed trains. How shameful is this?” the RJD leader said, adding that “due to the wrong policies of the double-engine government, more than four crore people from Bihar migrate to other states for work every year”.

Prasad also reiterated his long-standing criticism that the NDA government has failed to spur industrial growth in Bihar. “Several industrial units were set up in the state earlier,” he said. “The NDA government has not established any major industry in Bihar so far. They are anti-Bihar.”

Lalu Prasad’s outburst comes amid growing criticism of Indian Railways from several quarters over its handling of the festive rush and the overall deterioration in passenger experience.

This year, the Railways claimed to have added an “unprecedented” number of special trains for Diwali and Chhath — a move that some transport analysts have described as “statistically exaggerated” and logistically impractical. Despite the announcement, stations across northern and eastern India, especially in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand, have witnessed chaotic scenes, with passengers spilling onto platforms and trains departing overcrowded.

Opposition leaders and commuter associations have accused the government of prioritising optics over operational readiness. Critics point out that while the Railways regularly declares record increases in train services during major festivals, the additions often involve rebranding existing services as “specials” or stretching capacity beyond safe limits rather than introducing genuinely new routes or additional rakes.

Transport experts have also raised concerns that the 'festive overdrive' has exposed deeper systemic issues: insufficient rolling stock, underinvestment in passenger amenities, and a growing gap between premium services and basic travel conditions.

In recent months, social media has been flooded with videos showing passengers hanging from train doors, travelling atop coaches, and fighting for space inside general compartments. Commuters have also voiced frustration over erratic schedules, malfunctioning air-conditioning in sleeper coaches, and delays in the rollout of new Vande Bharat Express routes promised for several states.

The festive season criticism follows a string of high-profile train accidents this year, which renewed questions about rail safety and infrastructure maintenance. Despite official claims of modernisation, India’s vast rail network continues to struggle with congestion and outdated signalling systems, especially on heavily trafficked routes connecting Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh with major cities like Delhi and Mumbai.

Lalu Prasad’s attack also has clear electoral undertones. Bihar goes to the polls in two phases on 6 and 11 November, with results scheduled for 14 November. The RJD has made migration, unemployment, and infrastructure neglect central planks of its campaign against the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

While the Railways has positioned its recent measures as proof of efficiency and concern for migrant families, the chaotic scenes of overcrowding appear to have blunted that message.

For millions of Biharis working outside the state, Chhath Puja is more than a religious occasion — it is a return to their roots. And as overcrowded trains continue to symbolise both the festive rush and the economic migration driving it, the question of how India’s railways serve its most frequent travellers is once again at the heart of the political conversation.

With PTI inputs