Congress demands Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu's resignation
The Congress tweeted: "How many more incidents & lives lost till Suresh Prabhu resigns? Railways cannot be in the hands of incompetency."
Meanwhile, Ashwani Lohani, the CMD of Air India has been named as the new Chairman of Railway Board, following the resignation of A.K. Mittal after two train derailments took place within a week in Uttar Pradesh, media reports said.
Ashwani Lohani, an IRSME cadre has previously served as DRM, Delhi Division; Director, National Rail Museum; and Chief Administrative Officer, Rail Alternate Fuel. He holds the Guinness Record for successfully running the ‘Fairy Queen Express’, the world’s oldest working steam locomotive.
Early on Wednesday morning, eight coaches of Delhi-bound Kaifiyat Express derailed near Auraiya district, following which around 74 people were injured.
On Saturday, 23 passengers died and over 60 sustained injuries when 14 coaches of the Utkal Express, which runs on the Puri-Haridwar-Kalinga route, derailed at Khatauli in Muzaffarnagar.
Member Engineering Railway Board Ashok Mittal was on Sunday sent on leave after the prima facie evidence showed negligence on the part of maintenance staff as the reason why the Utkal Express derailed.
A host of railway officials from the rank of Divisional Manager to junior engineer have either been sent on leave or suspended or transferred.
Taking "moral responsibility," Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu had offered to resign earlier in the day, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked him to wait.
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