Still one of my favourite stories on Ministerial Responsibility:

Over the last five years, there had been at least two instances of goods trains travelling about 30 km in northern India without an engine driver, who had either fallen out or had jumped out en route. Fortunately neither train was involved in an accident as they ran out of steam. 

Mr Yadav [The Railway minister at the time] has blamed Vishwakarma, the Hindu god of machines, for the spiralling rate of rail accidents.

“Indian Railways are the responsibility of Lord Vishwakarma,” said Mr Prasad, “so is the safety of passengers. It is his duty [to ensure safety\], not mine,” he said earlier this year.

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