Maya flays Centre over rail fare hike

Complete Congressionisation of railways ministry, says BSP chief

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati on Thursday flayed the Centre for hiking railway fares and demanded an immediate rollback.

“The poor and the middle class would be hit hardest by the hike, which would be an additional burden along with the already steep prices of petrol, diesel and domestic cooking gas,” said Mayawati.

“There has been complete a “Congressionisation” of the railways ministry. Earlier, the ministry was controlled by some UPA partners and was insulated from the “wrong policies” of the Congress,” she alleged.

The central government was working against the interests of the people and the latest railways fare hike was one such example, she added.

The BSP leader also castigated the Centre for failing to take corrective measures over the border dispute with Pakistan, which had resulted in the brutal killing of two Indian army jawans on January 8 in Jammu and Kashmir.

“The skirmishes on the Indo-Pak border have now become routine and the Centre should have been more vigilant,” Mayawati averred.

She slammed the Akhilesh Yadav government saying that although one of the martyred soldiers was a native of Uttar Pradesh, none of the state’s ministers were present at his cremation.

“The Centre should be compassionate towards the families of the two martyrs and offer financial aid. The widows of the martyrs should be given government jobs,” she added.

Continuing her tirade against the state government, the Rajya Sabha member observed there had been a spurt in crimes, including murders and exploitation of women. “It is unfortunate that the government is busy making hollow promises rather than working for the welfare of people.”