Following two incidents of train derailment within a week, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday. Taking moral responsibility for the mishaps, Prabhu offered his resignation, which is yet to be accepted. Besides, there are speculations regarding a Cabinet reshuffle later this month, and it is possible that Prabhu might be shifted out of the ministry.
Also, Air India (AI) Chief Managing Director Ashwani Lohani has been appointed as the Railway Board Chairman, in place of A K Mittal, who also tendered his resignation following the accidents.
According to Railway Board sources, Prabhu was very upset following the Utkal Express derailment, and the Kaifiyat Express derailment in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday morning served as a double blow. He made the phone call to the PM early in the morning, offering his resignation, but was asked to attend the Cabinet meeting. Prabhu then met the PM after the Cabinet meet and was again asked to wait.
"I met the PM, taking full moral responsibility. He has asked me to wait," Prabhu tweeted.
"I am extremely pained by the unfortunate accidents, injuries to passengers, and loss of precious lives. It has caused me deep anguish," he stated in a tweet after the meeting. The Kaifiyat Express derailed in UP after being hit by a dumper, injuring 70 passengers. On August 20, the Utkal Express derailed in UP, killing 23 passengers. The Railways had accepted, prime facie, negligence by its staffers as the reason behind the derailment.
In fact, two other minor accidents were also reported on Wednesday – a train collided with a tractor trolley at an unmanned rail crossing in Villupuram, Tamil Nadu, and a narrow gauge train derailed in Gujarat.
When queried about Prabhu's resignation offer, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said: "Accountability is a good system in the government. The PM will take the final decision. "Meanwhile, the Congress demanded that the PM should either sack the Railway Minister or accept his resignation, adding that he should also lay down a roadmap for train safety. The party said Modi should appoint a responsible person for the position. "
"Railway safety in India is a mess. Accidents, derailments, and complete apathy to passenger safety have become the new normal under the Modi government," Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said.In a series of tweets, Prabhu said that in less than three years as minister, he has devoted his blood and sweat for the betterment of the Railways. "Under the leadership of the PM, I tried to overcome decades of neglect through systemic reforms in all areas, leading to unprecedented investment and milestones. The New India envisioned by the PM deserves a railway that is efficient and modern. I promise that is the path on which railways is progressing now," he stated.
Railway Board Chairman A K Mittal, who was on a two-year extension, had tendered resignation late on Tuesday and it was accepted on Wednesday.
Suresh Prabhu said in a series of tweets
In less than three years as Minister, I have devoted my blood and sweat for the betterment of the Railways
I am extremely pained by the unfortunate accidents, injuries to passengers and loss of precious lives. It has caused me deep anguish
I met the Hon’ble Prime Minister @narendramodi taking full moral responsibility. Hon’ble PM has asked me to wait.[SIC]
Resignations in the past
- In 1956, the then Railway Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri resigned after the Ariyalur train accident in Tamil Nadu left 142 people dead.
- In 1999, Nitish Kumar resigned after the Gaisal train disaster in Assam, which killed at least 290 people. He came back as the Railway Minister in 2001.
- In 2000, Mamata Banerjee offered to resign after two train disasters, but the then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee did not accept the resignation.
Accidents
- 2014-15: 135 train accidents
- 2015-2016: 107 train accidents
- 2016-17: 104 train accidents
- 2017, till August 2: 21 train accidents
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