Indian Railways recently organised a special run for the BJP MP from Maharashtra, Poonam Mahajan, to reportedly allow her to catch her scheduled flight from Bhopal to Mumbai.

According to a report by PTI, a special train to Bhopal from Bina district was organised to ensure that she did not miss her flight to Mumbai, two days ago.

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However, the General Manager of Western-Central Railway (WCR), which covers Bina under its Bhopal division denied allegations stating that no such treatment was meted out to Mahajan, daughter of former union minister Pramod Mahajan.

“No VIP treatment against the (rule) book was meted out to Poonam Mahajan,” WCR General Manager Ramesh Chandra told news agency PTI over the phone today.

Several media reports suggested that Mumbai North Central constituency MP travelled in a special train to Sukhi Sewania station on the outskirt of Bhopal from Bina on Tuesday in just 90 minutes for which many trains were made to halt to give way to it. She had left Bina around 7 pm.

This despite the fact that railway rules don’t allow running of special train for lawmakers.

“In fact the special train from Bhopal was sent for Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha to Sagar district as per the protocol day before yesterday (31 May),” Chandra said.

Sinha had gone to Sagar to attend a function where Mahajan was also present.

“From there, Mr Sinha and Ms Mahajan came to nearby Bina by a special train where the minister inaugurated a Railway Over Bridge (ROB),” he added.

“After the function, Mr Sinha, according to his scheduled plan was to return to Bhopal by the special train from where he had to catch a flight to Delhi. But as the function got delayed, Mr Sinha changed his plan at the last moment and boarded a train from Bina for Delhi,” the GM said.

“As the special train was to return to Bhopal, Poonam boarded it. Nothing should be read into it. It was a coincidence,” he said.

Along with Mahajan, Chief Security Commissioner of WCR too boarded the special train to Bhopal, Chandra said.

Sources told news agency PTI that Mahajan was to catch a flight from Bhopal airport around 9 pm on 31 May night.