It’s exit Dinesh Trivedi, and enter Mukul Roy as railways minister. But the routine of an accident greeting the new railways minister has not changed.
It’s exit Dinesh Trivedi, and enter Mukul Roy as railways minister. But the routine of an accident greeting the new railways minister has not changed. Sixteen lives were lost at unmanned crossing near Hathras in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday, as Roy had his first day in office as rail minister.
He did not have an easy time in Parliament either. He was introduced by prime minister Manmohan Singh in the Lok Sabha, and then he had to go to the Rajya sabha for the same procedure. However, Roy had to shuttle back to the Lok Sabha, as Sumitra Mahajan, BJP’s opening speaker for the debate on railway budget, refused to start without the cabinet minister being present.
Roy hurriedly returned to the Lok Sabha and then had to hear Mahajan’s acidic attack on the Congress for removing Trivedi. While Mahajan was speaking, Roy again left for the Rajya Sabha to vote on a motion of thanks to President’s address.
He again came back after a while when Reoti Raman Singh of the SP was speaking. In between, Congress’s PC Chako was doing the impossible of defending Trivedi’s measures, while at the same time arguing for a partial roll back of the hike in fares.
“Since the time the UPA government has been formed, the coalition train, in which the Prime Minister is the engine, is being stopped by one and all by frequent pulling of chain and threats of decoupling the compartment,” Mahajan said.
She added: “The last few days we are witnessing unprecedented things. We are reminded of the song Maar diya jaaye, ya chhod diya jaaye in a Hindi movie during a sequence where the hero was tied...The railway minister who spoke of the need to bite the bullet has himself been hit by the bullet.”
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}