On Thursday, passengers on a night train from Bhubaneswar to Rayagada were taken by surprise when Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav himself went from one compartment to another to get feedback on rail services and cleanliness. Ashwini Vaishnav is on a four-day visit to Odisha as part of the BJP’s Jan Ashirwad Yatra. Former IAS officer Ashwini Vaishnav was given the railway department and other responsibilities in the Union Cabinet expansion last month. He boarded the night train from Bhubaneswar to Rayagada on Thursday.
In pictures and videos that have surfaced on social media, the minister can be seen talking to a passenger in Oriya. He asks the passenger where he works and then asks if the train is clean. The passenger replies that the train is clean and the minister pats his shoulder and goes ahead.
In another video, he is seen talking to some other passengers. He is heard telling passengers, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave Odisha railway minister for the first time,” then he says that the prime minister has a vision and will get all the basic work done.
In the post tweeted by the Railway Minister, he can be seen sitting and chatting with fellow passengers. He tells them, “Young people, it was great to meet you.”
A female passenger said it was a “great opportunity”. “We never thought we could meet you guys.” To this, the minister replies in Hindi, “We are like you, we are ordinary citizens”.
Earlier, he inspected the passenger amenities and cleanliness arrangements at Bhubaneswar Railway Station. Vaishnav worked extensively in various parts of Odisha as an IAS officer and now represents the state in the Rajya Sabha.
