Calcutta, April 5: Transport minister Subhas Chakraborty today ruled out rash driving as the reason for yesterday’s accident.

“Accidents may happen anytime to anyone. No driver would like to run over a snake, let alone kill people,” the minister, who had yesterday declared himself a mahapurush, said.

But the minister’s spirited defence of the driver failed to find much support in his party.

“It is clear that yesterday’s accident occurred because of reckless and irresponsible driving. So many people, including children, lost their lives for no fault of theirs,” Amitava Nandi, CPM MP from Dum Dum, said.

CPM state secretariat member Benoy Konar echoed Nandi. “The driver did not obey traffic rules,” he said.

When told that his CPM colleague had blamed the bus driver, Chakraborty retorted: “These are just stories.”

Nandi said the party would conduct an awareness programme to curb rash driving. The CPM will also organise workshops with drivers’ unions.

The MP said the motor vehicles department should follow the rules while issuing fitness certificates to drivers.