Didn't ask officials to stop trains to expedite Uttar Pradesh BJP chief's arrival, says MP Satish Gautam

Lucknow: A video of BJP MP Satish Gautam went viral on social media in which he is seen asking someone over the phone to stop all trains to ensure Vaishali Express carrying his party’s UP chief Mahendra Nath Pandey arrived at Aligarh station on priority. [caption id=“attachment_1172867” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. AFP[/caption] However, when contacted, the Aligarh MP claimed he was not directing any railway official but was talking to a party worker. Speaking to PTI, he said Pandey was scheduled to arrive in Aligarh on Vaishali Express, and the train was running almost 6 hours late. “Saari gariyon ko rok lo aur jaldi se Vaishali Express ko nikalo, 15 minutes mein mujhe yahan gaari chahiye. Tum Vaishali ke liye tatkaal bolo. Pata karo, Vaishali 10 minute mein yahan chaahiye (Stop all the trains, and give way to Vaishali Express. I want the train here in 15 minutes. Check immediately, I want Vaishali here in 10 minutes),” he was heard saying in the video. When the MP’s reaction was sought on the video, he counter-questioned, “Can you tell me who I was speaking to? Can you bring his statement?” Asked whether he was speaking to the station master, Gautam said, “I was not speaking to any railway official. If I had spoken to any railway official, then either the phone recording of the conversation be brought out or the official be presented before me”. He said he was talking to a party worker.