Amritsar train tragedy: Sidhu refuses to react to SAD's demand of his ouster

Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu Sunday refused to react to the SAD's demands for his dismissal and lodging of an FIR against his wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu over the Amritsar train incident on Dussehra.

SAD had made the demands as Sidhu's wife had allegedly presided over an "unauthorised" Dussehra event on Friday close to a railway track near Joda Phatak with a speeding train tearing through a crowd of spectators spilling over the track and mowing down 59 of them.

"Anything else, anything else, anything else... No comments," Sidhu said in a curt reply to the media's query on Shiromani Akali Dal's demands.

SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, who met family members of the victims on Saturday night, had sought Sidhu's dismissal from the Cabinet, describing the incident as a "massacre".

Senior Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia had even demanded lodging of a criminal case against event organisers and Sidhu's wife.

Majithia had accused Navjot Kaur Sidhu of running away from the mishap site, alleging that she had left the venue without bothering for the victims.

Majithia had also claimed that the burning of Ravana's effigy was delayed as Sidhu's wife who was the chief guest was running late for the event.

Navjot Kaur Sidhu had said she came to know about the "tragic incident" after she had left the venue.

She had added that soon after coming to know of the incident, she had gone to the hospital to see the patients.

She had also claimed that being a doctor herself, she had even personally treated some of the victims, besides arranging for some more doctors to attend on them. 

Cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu Saturday had defended his wife, saying that she was with the victims when the allegations were being levelled against her.

"I fought elections from here because of my wife. She has been working here. Last night, when accusations were being levelled against her, she was with patients. She called me up yesterday. She came to know of the incident before reaching home," Sidhu had said Saturday, adding the incident should not be given a "political colour".

Dussehra celebrations was organised by Saurabh Madan, son of municipal councilor Vijay Madan and Navjot Kaur Sidhu was the chief guest at the event.
At least 300 people were watching the 'Ravana dahan' at the ground adjacent to the railway tracks.