New Delhi, Aug 23 (India Today): Union Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu today offered to resign taking moral responsibility of recent rail accidents in Uttar Pradesh. Suresh Prabhu, in a series of tweets, said he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi but was asked to wait before putting in papers.
"I met the Hon'ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking full moral responsibility. Hon'ble PM has asked me to wait. I am extremely pained by the unfortunate accidents, injuries to passengers and loss of precious lives. It has caused me deep anguish," Suresh Prabhu said.
"In less than three years as minister, I have devoted my blood and sweat for the betterment of the Railways. New India envisioned by PM deserves a railways which is efficient and modern. I promise that is the path, on which railways is progressing now," Prabhu said on Twitter.
"Under leadership of PM, tried to overcome decades of neglect through systemic reforms in all areas leading to unprecedented investment and milestones," the minister added.
The development came hours after Railway Board chairman Ashok Mittal submitted his resignation to Suresh Prabhu on a day when Indian Railways witnessed yet another accident in Uttar Pradesh. Nine bogies of Kaifiyat Express derailed in Auraiya district early today injuring over 70 people.
Last week, 22 people were killed and dozens injured when Haridwar-bound Kalinga-Utkal Express jumped off tracks in Khatauli in Muzaffaragar district. Top railway officials were suspended after this accident which according to initial probe occurred due to negligence of concerned officials.
Suresh Prabhu's three year tenure has been marred with numerous rail accidents.
A timeline of some of the big rail accidents in the last few years:
January 22, 2017: Jagdalpur-Bhubaneshwar Express derailed near Kuneru station in Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh. Forty one people were killed.
November 20, 2016: Indore-Patna Express derailed in Pukhrayan near Kanpur, killing 150 people and injuring another 150.
August 4, 2015: Two passenger trains, Kamayani Express and Janata Express, derailed in Madhya Pradesh. Thirty-one people were killed, and more than 100 were injured.
May 25, 2015: Rourkela-Jammu Tawi Muri Express derailed in Kaushambi district of Uttar Pradesh. Eight bogies of the train derailed, leaving five dead and more than 50 injured.
March 20, 2015: Dehradun-Varanasi Janata Express derailed in Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh. Death toll was 58, while more than 150 passengers were injured.
February 13, 2015: 10 people killed, nearly 150 injured when nine bogies of Bangalore-Ernakulam Intercity Express derailed on the outskirts of Bengaluru