Modi govt is biased, politicising Railway Budget: Trinamool
Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) strongly criticised the Narendra Modi-led Central government for reducing the Railway Budget allocation for non-BJP-ruled states such as Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
The ruling party in Bengal also accused the Centre of politicising the Railway Budget.
Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, MP Derek O’Brien said: “The Budget in percentage terms has been cut down for Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Bengal, which was down from 15 per cent to 5 per cent when it comes to Railway expenditure in the last 10 years. Totally political! Mr Modi’s minister could not answer anything today. If this is what you were doing to the non-BJP states, what were you doing to states run by the BJP? Misleading the House and only doing cheap politics.”
The TMC leaders also spoke about the mismanagement of the Railways impacting thousands of lives and the strategic deprivation of Bengal and other non-BJP states.
“The Railway minister participated in a discussion on the Ministry of Railways. At the end of the discussion, he talked about passing the Railway Budget. Sukhendu da, myself, and a few others raised this issue that we have a ‘Point of Order’ and asked them to allow us to speak. We wanted this first to be corrected. He said he was passing the Railway Budget,” O’Brien further stated.
The party asserted that PM Modi and his team should take tuition from Trinamool Congress on the rules of the Parliament.
“Prime Minister Modi and your team of ministers come to Trinamool Congress, we will give you a free tutorial and tuition. You please come and we will teach you the rules of the Parliament. This is our first point. We were not allowed to speak for even one minute but we did not disturb him for one hour. Our second point today, everyone from Trinamool in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha raised the point of how much have you cut the Budget of Opposition states pertaining to Railways.
In the case of BJP-ruled states, the Centre has been allocating more funds for Railways.
“In 10 years, Maharashtra’s share went from 4.5 per cent to 10 per cent of Railway expenditure; in Uttar Pradesh, it went from 4 per cent to 8 per cent, almost double; and in Madhya Pradesh, it went from 2.4 per cent to almost 6 percent. What happened today was disgraceful on the rules of parliamentary produce and the political aspect of it. Modi’s Cabinet has a one-line agenda when it comes to Bengal – deprive Bengal and squeeze Bengal because you cannot defeat Mamata Banerjee,” O’Brien added.
