If you had stayed at the Central Railway Station until the early hours of Tuesday, you might have thought that the country was still ruled by monarchs. The royal treatment that Union Railway Minister Mukul Roy received after he arrived from Nellore in a special “luxury” train here gave rise to this notion. Visitors to the station fumed at the insensitivity the elaborate drama portrayed just hours after the Tamil Nadu Express tragedy that killed scores. They wondered if the minister and the officials were serious when they expressed their condolence following the tragedy.
The drama began minutes before the coach carrying the minister arrived at 3 am. Two workers were seen spraying room fresheners across Platform 6 where the coach was to be stationed. Ironically, it was the same platform where the train carrying survivors from Nellore arrived on Monday.
Once stationed, there was a strong contingent of railway police who cordoned off the area near the platform. When Express inquired with the makers of the coach, it was revealed that it was one with luxurious and fully furnished interiors with a section for resting, a meeting room and an attached kitchen. It was called a “GM Saloon,” which is estimated to cost around Rs 1.5 crore to make, sources at the Integral Coach Factory said.