Chandigarh: A day after a collision between two buses operating under the Mukh Mantri Tirath Yatra Yojana killed four people in Tarn Taran, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Sunday summoned the Punjab chief secretary over the state govt’s alleged failure to submit an action-taken report on safety violations in buses operating under the scheme.The NHRC ordered chief secretary K A P Sinha to appear in person or through a representative on Dec 7 with bus inspection records, compliance details and an accident report. The summons will be waived if the state submits the documents by Nov 30, the NHRC said.The commission said Punjab failed to meet a seven-day deadline set on Oct 23 to inspect all scheme buses and pull unsafe vehicles off the road.The directive followed a complaint by the Network for Access to Justice and Multidisciplinary Outreach Foundation alleging unauthorised structural modifications, partitions separating driver cabins, blocked emergency exits, and missing fire-safety gear. The panel also cited its Oct 2025 proceedings on recurring fatal bus crashes.CM Bhagwant Mann, however, urged opposition leaders not to politicise the tragedy. Talking to the mediapersons in Amritsar, where he announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh each to the injured, Mann said, “The incident should not be attributed to any fault on the part of the govt. The Punjab govt remains committed to the safety and well-being of every citizen.”“I visited a hospital in Amritsar to enquire about the well-being of injured pilgrims. The govt stands shoulder to shoulder with its people in every difficult hour,” Mann posted on X.Opposition parties have accused the AAP govt of gross negligence. Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal called the accident a “complete failure of the system”. He demanded a time-bound probe and a driver dope test, alleging the buses lacked valid registration, fitness, pollution and insurance papers.“This accident reflects a complete failure of the system and a grave concern for the safety of every yatri (pilgrim) and every Punjabi,” Sukhbir wrote on X.Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon said the state admitted to the NHRC in January that none of the scheme’s buses was registered in Punjab. He claimed the buses had also been fined in other states.“The Punjab govt remained adamant in continuing the scheme. Instead, it accused the BJP of attempting to shut down the Mukh Mantri Teerth Yatra,” he said.Dhillon added, “The BJP govt in Delhi is also running a Mukh Mantri Tirath Yatra Scheme. We are not opposed to the pilgrimage scheme in Punjab either. Our concern was the safety of Punjab’s elderly citizens, and unfortunately, the tragedy has vindicated our concerns.”
