Congress approaches NHRC for probe into New Delhi station stampede

The Delhi unit of the Congress on Monday lodged a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), urging an investigation into the stampede at New Delhi railway station that claimed 18 lives. The party also called for accountability for the "negligent officials" involved.

In the complaint, Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav stated that the tragic incident occurred due to the neglect of railway authorities and security forces. Despite a large crowd of passengers — many travelling to Prayagraj (Allahabad) for the Maha Kumbh festival, and others bound for different destinations — no measures were taken to control the growing number of people at the station. As a result, the lack of crowd management on the platforms led to the stampede.

Yadav also questioned how the railways could sell 1,500 tickets per hour for passengers travelling to Prayagraj without ensuring proper arrangements for train coaches or crowd control.

The complaint demands that the NHRC investigate the incident, hold those responsible accountable, and ensure that swift and strict action is taken against the officials at fault.

The Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) delegation included advocate Sunil Kumar, the chairman of the legal and human rights department.

The stampede, which took place on the evening of Saturday 15 February, occurred as a large crowd rushed to board trains to Prayagraj. According to government sources, the incident left 18 people dead and 15 others injured.