Railway Minister Prabhu ‘offers’ to quit; PM Modi asks him to ‘wait’

Mukesh Ranjan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 23

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on Wednesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and “offered” to resign “taking full responsibility” for train accidents and said Modi had asked him to “wait”.

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Hours after a second train derailed in four days, Prabhu called on the Prime Minister “taking full responsibility” for the state of affairs. “PM has asked me to wait,” he tweeted.

I met the Hon'ble Prime Minister @narendramodi taking full moral responsibility. Hon’ble PM has asked me to wait. (5/5)

— Suresh Prabhu (@sureshpprabhu) August 23, 2017

On Saturday, the Kalinga Utkal Express derailed in Muzaffarnagar district leaving 22 persons dead. Even as the Railways cracked down on errant officials and staff, the Kaifiyat Express derailed in Auraiya district on Wednesday injuring 74 persons. Both accidents took place in Uttar Pradesh.

Meanwhile, Chairman, Railway Board, AK Mittal resigned from the post owning the responsibility for the accidents.

I am extremely pained by the unfortunate accidents, injuries to passengers and loss of precious lives. It has caused me deep anguish (4/5)

— Suresh Prabhu (@sureshpprabhu) August 23, 2017

Though Prabhu did not specifically mention that he had “offered to resign”, there has been intense speculation that he may have offered to resign considering the language of his tweets.

New India envisioned by PM deserves a Rlys which is efficient and modern. I promise that is the path, on which Rlys is progressing now (3/5)

— Suresh Prabhu (@sureshpprabhu) August 23, 2017

Reports said Air India Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani will replace him.

“I am extremely pained by the unfortunate accidents, injuries to passengers and loss of precious lives. It has caused me deep anguish,” the Railway Minister said.

In less than three years as Minister, I have devoted my blood and sweat for the betterment of the Railways (1/5)

— Suresh Prabhu (@sureshpprabhu) August 23, 2017

“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 that he had tried to overcome “decades of neglect through systemic reforms in all areas leading to unprecedented investment and milestones”.

He said in less than three years as Minister, “I have devoted my blood and sweat for the betterment of the Railways”.

A Chartered Accountant by profession, 64-year-old Prabhu—formerly in the Shiv Sena --  joined the BJP in May 2014 before he was inducted into the cabinet as the Railway Minister.

Undr leadership of PM, tried 2 overcome decades of neglect thru systemic reforms in all areas leading 2 unprecedented investment& milestones

— Suresh Prabhu (@sureshpprabhu) August 23, 2017

After the Saturday accident involving the Kalinga Utkal Express, the Congress said that since the Modi government took power in 2014, 259 passengers had died and 899 had been injured in 27 rail accidents.

READ

• Accountability is good in government: Jaitley on Prabhu's offer to quit
• 100 injured as Kaifiyat Express derails in UP
• Railway board chairman AK Mittal quits; AI’s Ashwani Lohani to take his place
• Utkal derailment: Action taken against Secy-level officer, 7 other official
• 259 killed in 27 train accidents in 3-year BJP rule: Congress
• ‘Grateful to god’ that they are alive, survivors recount horror
• 23 dead as 14 coaches of Utkal Express derail in Muzaffarnagar

An initial probe into the Kalinga Utkal Express tragedy found that the accident was caused due to negligence by railway staff. — With agencies