Congress demands railway minister’s resignation over New Delhi stampede

The Congress on Sunday accused the government of gross negligence following the stampede at New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday, which claimed 18 lives, and demanded the resignation or removal of Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. “The railway minister must resign with immediate effect, or he must be removed,” said Congress leader Supriya Shrinate during a press conference in Delhi.

“With a lot of faith and belief, people came to the Maha Kumbh, but it was the administration’s failure that led to this tragedy,” she said. “Among the deceased were children aged seven, eight, twelve and fifteen. What was their fault?... Who is responsible for the massacre of these devotees?” she asked. She said that the authorities knew the expected crowd size but failed to make adequate arrangements.