Mumbai, Feb 16 (IANS): Congress leader Naseem Khan on Sunday expressed grief over the demise of 18 people in a stampede at New Delhi Railway Station and blamed the Central government for the incident.

The Congress leader spoke to IANS on an array of issues including stampedes, love jihad law and Trinamool Congress Chief Mamata Banerjee's announcement to contest the 2026 West Bengal Assembly polls alone.

He said that Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw should tender his resignation taking responsibility for the incident in New Delhi.

Even as the government is carrying out "propaganda indulging in public relations exercises" about various arrangements for the religious congregation, Maha Kumbh devotees have several complaints, he claimed.

His remarks came after a tragic stampede occurred late on Saturday night at New Delhi Railway Station.

The incident occurred as a huge crowd gathered to board trains to Prayagraj for the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela and the late arrival of the Swatantrata Senani Express and Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express triggered panic leading to the stampede.

For the Maha Kumbh stampede at Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, the Congress leader slammed the state government alleging mismanagement of the crowd and inappropriate arrangements.

On the Maharashtra government forming a seven-member committee for Love Jihad and Anti conversion law, Khan said the government is doing this to hide its "failures".

"The government does not talk about farmer issues, unemployment, they indulge in polarisation to distract the people from their failures," he said.

When asked about West Bengal Chief Minister Banerjee's announcement to contest the elections solo, he said: " It is the party's decision. Congress will also go it alone."

"AAP Convenor Arvind Kejriwal contested the Delhi Assembly polls and saw the results. Congress wanted to stitch an alliance but AAP was not ready to budge. If Mamata Banerjee wants to go solo, let her do so," he said.