The Indian Youth Congress (IYC) on Tuesday staged a protest seeking the resignation of Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw over the loss of lives in a stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station last week.

Members of the Congress’ youth wing while holding aloft placards held the demonstration in front of its office. They also burnt the effigy of the minister.

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IYC national president Uday Bhanu Chib said the stampede was not an accident but a “genocide”.

Referring to the tragic incident, he said, “It was the failure of the railway administration. The scene there was heart-wrenching. Who is responsible for this massacre of devotees? Even after such a big accident, a narrative was created that everything is under control.”

Attacking the Railways minister, Chib said, “When people were dying in the stampede, Ashwini Vaishnaw was busy hiding the death figures. The Railways minister of this country is only busy making reels. He has no moral right to remain in his post, he should resign as soon as possible.”

Echoing similar sentiments, Delhi Pradesh Youth Congress president Akshay Lakra said, “The government gave advertisements and called people to Maha Kumbh. In such a situation, when people are going to Kumbh, who is responsible for their safety? The people who have lost their lives are our own people. But the Railways Minister is busy hiding the death figures. He is not doing anything for the public.”

“To go to the festival of faith Maha Kumbh, the public expects from the government that there will be proper arrangements for transportation, deployment of police administration, and crowd management. But if the government cannot make such arrangements for the public, then why are these people sitting in power? Ashwini Vaishnaw should take responsibility for this accident and immediately resign from his post,” Lakra said.

It may be mentioned that the Delhi unit of the Congress on Monday filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) urging to constitute an inquiry committee to carry out on-the-spot inquiry into the recent stampede.