New Delhi: The Congress on Wednesday said Railway minister Suresh Prabhu should step down from his post if he has an “iota of morality" left in him after the derailment of two trains in five days.

Reacting to reported resignation of Railway Board chairman A K Mittal from his post, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said “asking" Mittal to step down was the “worst kind of tokenism". According to media reports, Mittal tendered his resignation to Prabhu after Kaifiyat Express derailed in UP’s Auraiya district early on Wednesday, after dashing against a dumper carrying construction material for railway work, leaving over 74 people injured.

On Saturday last, Kalinga-Utkal Express had derailed in Khatauli in Muzaffarnagar in the state, killing 22 people and injuring 156 others. There was, however, no official confirmation about Mittal’s resignation. “Prabhu should resign immediately if he has iota of morality left in him after Wednesday’s incident which has left 74 more people injured. It is worst kind of tokenism asking rail board chairman or any other official to step aside," Tewari told reporters here.

The Congress leader noted during a period of 38 months, 28 rail accidents occurred, killing over 300 people and leaving 800 others injured. The main opposition party has been seeking Prabhu’s removal ever since the Kalinga-Utkal Express derailed.

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