Railway Minister must resign or be sacked for 'mismanagement': Congress on NDLS stampede

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Sunday demanded the resignation of Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, holding him morally responsible for the stampede at New Delhi Railway Station that claimed 18 lives.

Addressing a press conference, Supriya Shrinate, who heads Congress' social media division said "if Vaishnaw does not resign, he should be sacked for the "mismanagement" at the railway station.

She pointed out that railway officials were aware of the influx of passengers, with 1,500 tickets being sold every hour, yet no proper crowd control measures were in place.

Shrinate alleged a stark divide in the country, where the elite receive special privileges at the Kumbh while common citizens die due to negligence at railway stations. She also highlighted the prevailing VIP culture at the religious gathering.

"We have only one demand. Given the scale of this tragedy, which was nothing short of a massacre, the Railway Minister must resign immediately. If he refuses, he should be removed from his position," she said.

She accused Vaishnaw of failing in his duties and focusing more on public relations than addressing railway safety concerns. "He is busy making reels and downplaying deaths instead of taking responsibility. He has no right to continue in office for even a minute," she claimed.

Shrinate further alleged that the Indian Railways is being mismanaged under Vaishnaw, saying, "A Railway Minister who prioritises his image over public safety, dismisses deaths as minor incidents and fails to offer condolences has no place in office."

Calling the incident a "massacre," she said the lack of arrangements left helpless devotees stranded.

Eyewitness accounts, she noted, were deeply disturbing, as porters had to carry the bodies of victims due to the absence of proper emergency response. She questioned, "Who is responsible for this massacre of devotees?"

(With inputs from agencies)