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Vajpayee rejects Mamata's resignation

"The prime minister has declined to accept the resignation letter given by Mamata Banerjee," sources in the Prime Minister's Office said hours after she resigned saying she had been constantly doing 'soul searching' ever since the news of the accident reached her.

Forty-six people lost their lives and over 100 others were injured in the accident involving the Howrah-Amritsar Mail and a goods train.

Banerjee, who has been under opposition attack for 'devoting more time' to West Bengal where assembly elections are due early next year than to the railway ministry, had resigned in September in protest against the steep hike in prices of petroleum products.

But she retracted after the prime minister assured that the government would have a second look at the hike.

"I reached the conclusion that in order to adequately respond to my conscience, I should resign," she said in the letter to Vajpayee though she maintained that the minister was not involved in the day-to-day operations of the railways.

But as head of the 1.6 million-strong organisation she was taking 'moral responsibility' for the accident and resigning, she said.

Despite putting in her papers, Mamata went to Lok Sabha and made a statement in which she said seven senior officials had been asked to proceed on leave forthwith to facilitate an 'impartial and unbiased' enquiry into the accident.

Immediately after she made the statement, Communist Party of India members led by Basudeb Acharya demanded her resignation. They also said the minister owed an explanation to the House over the inordinate delay in reaching the accident site.

Earlier in the day, Banerjee said the loss of lives had 'touched' her heart. "Even if one person dies, I feel guilty. Ours is the world's second largest rail network and there is need for more care and safety," she said.

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