Tellado’s attack on Gabriel Rufián centred on the latter’s alleged private congratulations to transport minister Óscar Puente after Puente tendered his resignation following the rail accident at Urda in Toledo. Tellado said the exchange showed Rufián acting as an “apprentice PSOE spokesman”, a phrase translated from Spanish. The collision took place on 28 October 2026, when a Renfe-operated train struck the rear of a stationary Iryo train near Urda, about 130 kilometres south of Madrid. The trains were carrying 544 passengers; 69 people died and roughly 100 were injured.
He also criticised Rufián for praising Puente’s work at the transport ministry. Tellado said there had been 116 deaths across three rail accidents, and cited that figure as the reason such praise was unacceptable. The source material does not identify the publication or document behind the remarks. The Urda crash was Spain’s second major rail accident of 2026, following the Adamuz accident in January. Investigators estimated the impact speed at 160–200 km/h, while the judicial investigation was placed under secrecy.
At the Barcelona event, Tellado argued that the PP would take a tougher line on public safety. He accused the PSOE and its governing partners of denying a security problem, while the PP gave a voice to those affected. He also alleged that the government favoured offenders and failed to pursue repeat offenders.
Tellado said Partido Socialista and Esquerra were too lenient towards offenders, and included Frente Amplio in his criticism. He cited older residents afraid to go out in the evening and shopkeepers repeatedly targeted by break-ins. He also described families returning from holiday to find their homes occupied.
Tellado praised Badalona mayor Xavier García Albiol’s approach, saying it could bring greater security and coexistence. He said the PP would pursue zero tolerance towards squatters, with the stated aim of removing them within 48 hours. That was a party pledge, not a measure the source showed to be in force.
On the railway accident, Tellado alleged that a criminal organisation had been introduced into the transport system, linking that claim to problems affecting Cercanías and Rodalies, as well as high-speed rail. He said the matter was in the hands of Spanish and European justice, and alleged that public money and European funds intended for line maintenance had been taken. Puente announced his resignation on 3 November during an appearance before the Permanent Deputation of Spain’s Congress of Deputies, after several days of emergency response and victim assistance, with initial safety measures also underway. He said he had decided to resign within minutes of learning of the crash but delayed the announcement while those efforts continued. He also withdrew as the Socialist Party’s lead candidate for Valladolid in the general election scheduled for 29 November. Puente framed the decision as political responsibility, saying a minister should not remain in office after two accidents of such severity within a year. He did not present it as an admission that he had personally caused the crash.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez accepted Puente’s resignation, and First Deputy Prime Minister Carlos Cuerpo temporarily assumed responsibility for the Transport Ministry. On 4 November, Adif president Luis Pedro Marco de la Peña also resigned. Adif is the state entity responsible for rail infrastructure and signalling. It also oversees traffic control. The departures came while the Urda crash investigation remained active. Euronews reported that Puente said a high-speed train had been allowed to continue at more than 160 km/h after its safety system failed.
Tellado also mocked Catalan regional president Salvador Illa, calling him the “ideal son-in-law” and describing him as Pedro Sánchez’s last remaining supporter.
