New Delhi: A TMC MLA got into a scuffle with a travelling ticket examiner (TTE) while travelling in a train. The incident took place on Monday when Kanai Chandra Mondal, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA from Nabagram, was travelling by Malda-Howrah Intercity Express.
Mondal was travelling in an AC chair car compartment with a woman who allegedly did not have a valid ticket in her name. The altercation between the legislator and the TTE started after the latter asked the woman to show her ticket.
A video of the incident has gone viral on social media showing the TMC MLA misbehaving with the TTE. Several co-passengers were also seen arguing with Mondal and asking if a person can travel without a proper ticket in the chair car compartment.
TMC MLA Kanai Chandra Mondal from Nabagram gets into a scuffle with train passengers after his ticketless entourage was called out.
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MLA was travelling with another woman on wife’s ticket
The MLA was travelling with two people, including the woman. While one of them had a confirmed ticket, the woman did not have a proper ticket in her name. According to reports, the woman was travelling on a ticket booked in the name of MLA’s wife.
Mondal claimed that the woman passenger was from her constituency and that she had requested the TTE to convert her general ticket to that of the chair car compartment in which she was seated beside him. He further claimed that it was the TTE who misbehaved with him.
Following the incident, Achintya Saha, the ticket collector, wrote to the Divisional Commercial Manager of Eastern Railways alleging that the MLA was travelling with two people and that one of his co-travellers did not have a valid ticket.
“When I asked for their tickets, one of them (passengers) told me that he was the MLA of Nabagram and refused to pay the dues in favour of the unauthorised passengers…They continuously threatened me and used slangs and told me that they will kill me in the next station,” Saha said. He also said that the MLA had a ticket booked in the name of his wife but some other lady was sitting on that seat.
Meanwhile, the Eastern Railway said it was considering taking legal action against the TMC MLA for his alleged misbehaviour with the TTE. ER spokesperson Kausik Mitra said that the authorities were in touch with lawyers and senior officers on the matter.
