Urban development minister Azam Khan resigned on Monday as the chairman of the kumbh-mela committee, owning moral responsibility for  Sunday's tragedy at the Allahabad railway station which left 36 dead and scores injured.

"I am taking moral responsibility for the incident which has hurt me deeply," Khan told the media in Rampur. "So, despite the fact that I was technically not responsible for management inside the railway station, I have decided to put in my papers as chairman of the kumbh-mela committee."

The railway authorities had mismanaged the situation, Khan further said. "The railways appeared to be indifferent and negligent."

In his letter to CM Akhilesh Yadav, Khan underscored the point. "The railway station didn't fall under my jurisdiction... That over 3 crore people took a dip in the Ganga peacefully was due to the cooperation of the officials and employees at kumbh," he wrote.