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Railway Budget 2016: Congress says Centre repackaging UPA schemes

Oppostion claimed that PM Narendra Modi and his minister are working under the influence of RSS.

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Union Minister of Railways Minister Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu arrives at Rail Bhavan in New Delhi on Thursday before presenting Railway Budget 2016-17 in Parliament.
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Opposition on Thursday accused the NDA government of repackaging the schemes of the UPA regime and cutting down the allocations for schemes for farmers and poors while the ruling side insisted that India has emerged as the bright spot in the global economy.

Leading the opposition attack, Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ministers are working under the influence of RSS and there was a huge difference between their policies and intentions.

Speaking on the Motion of Thanks to President's address, Kharge said the people who surround the Prime Minister won't let him go too far. Responding to the opposition's charge, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said "we are proud of RSS" and its capacity, capability and devotion to this nation. He said because of the steps taken by the NDA government, India, according to IMF chief, is now among the few bright spots in global economy and is an island of hope.

Responding to Kharge's charge that eight government schemes are named after Prime Minister, Naidu said the Prime Minister is an institution and that one of the books had mentioned that 618 schemes in the country were named after one family. He said Modi will not the run the country for another 25 years but the institution of Prime Minister will be there.

"The people of India gave mandate to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, "he said adding opposition should not obstruct functioning of Parliament or derail the bills. He said India's reputation in the world has been going up after Modi visited 32 countries in a short period of time.

The Prime Minister will also take up the issue of supply of F-16 fighter planes to Pakistan, Naidu said. He was responding to the questions by opposition as to why Modi has not taken up the issue of F-16 fighter planes with US President Barack Obama even though he talks to him.

Naidu said India is growing faster than China and has improved its ranking by 12 points in the ease of doing business. Naidu further said the economy has shown significant improvement with inflation coming down, fiscal and current account deficit under control and government announcing host of schemes for the welfare of poor.

Refuting the charge that Prime Minister is interfering with the functioning of ministers, he said as head of the government he has the right to advise his ministers. He said unlike the past government "where the Prime Minister presides and 'Madam' decides, (Now) Prime Minister presides and decides".

Earlier Kharge said the President's address had failed to focus on woman, farmers, poor, workers, dalits and adivasis and that there was a need to change the thought process to build a strong and far-sighted India.

The Congress leader said the schemes -- Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Swasthya Bima Yojana, Jeevan Jyoti Yojana, Krishi Sinchai Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana -- are all repackaged versions of the UPA government's schemes.

"You are trying to divert the attention of the government, this tactics will not work for long," he said.

Kharge said although the government keeps on saying that no work was done by the UPA, its own chief economic advisor had said that proverty reduction has been the fastest between 2005 and 2012. He further said as many as 3 crore people come out of the poverty line in eight years during the UPA rule.

Kharge also said that Modi had once criticised the MGNREGA rural employment scheme of the UPA government. Modi was present in the House when Kharge was speaking.

"There is a heavy influence of RSS on you. This is fine for BJP and Pracharaks, but not good for the Prime Minister. There are different medicines for different diseases. RSS has never thought about poor," Kharge said.

P Nagarajan (AIADMK) said the central government should provide subsidised food to the poor as was being done by the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa. He also demanded that the Central government should transfer funds directly into the accounts of poor affected by Chennai floods.

Nagarajan said center should also expeditously release the funds for construction of houses for poor affected by the floods. 

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