MP Tisso slams absence of senior officials at Amrit Bharat train flag-off in Diphu

Lok Sabha MP Amarsing Tisso on January 19 strongly criticised the “complete absence” of senior district administration and Assam Police officials during the flagging-off ceremony of the Dibrugarh–Gomtinagar–Dibrugarh Amrit Bharat Express at Diphu Railway Station, raising serious concerns over public safety and administrative preparedness in Karbi Anglong.

The special ceremony, part of a major national initiative and virtually inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, witnessed a massive turnout of passengers and local residents. However, the Diphu MP expressed deep dissatisfaction over what he described as a glaring lapse in coordination and security arrangements at an event of national importance.

Speaking to the media after the programme, Tisso said that not a single magistrate or senior Assam Police officer was present to manage the crowd. He pointed out that only a limited number of Government Railway Police (GRP) and railway protection personnel were deployed, despite thousands of people gathering on and around platform number two, adjacent to active railway tracks.

“Neither a magistrate nor senior Assam Police officials were present to oversee crowd control. A handful of GRP and railway police personnel were left to manage a huge gathering amid frequent train movements. This was extremely risky and entirely avoidable,” the MP said.

Tisso stressed that programmes linked to national projects and the Prime Minister’s vision—particularly those aimed at strengthening connectivity in the Northeast—should be accorded the highest level of seriousness by the district administration. He alleged that the authorities failed to undertake proper planning and deployment for an event of such scale and significance.

“This is not merely about protocol; it is about public safety. When thousands of people assemble near operational railway tracks without adequate police presence or magisterial supervision, the risk to human life is very real,” he said, adding that the district administration and police must explain why senior officials were absent.

The MP further remarked that the Amrit Bharat Express service, which includes Diphu as a stoppage, is being projected as a transformative step in improving rail connectivity between Assam and Uttar Pradesh. Any administrative indifference during such landmark events, he warned, undermines public confidence and raises broader questions about governance and law-and-order preparedness.

The incident has triggered debate locally, with residents and observers questioning whether sufficient priority is being given to safety and coordination during high-profile public programmes in the district.