Sawant slams Railways for 'late' invites to Shiv Sena MPs

Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant today criticised Railway officials for inviting his party MPs to railway-related events "at the eleventh hour" and warned of launching a "Shiv Sena-style" protest against this.
Sawant also alleged that although he has brought this matter to the notice of Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, no corrective step has been taken in this regard so far.
The Shiv Sena leader attended the inauguration ceremony of a platform and booking office at the Bandra Terminus, inaugurated by Prabhu via video conference today.
Sawant wore a black scarf to register his protest.
"I have noticed that whenever Railway administration organises such functions, the parliamentarians, especially from Shiv Sena, are invited at the eleventh hour. This is not acceptable...This is why I have donned a black scarf to register my protest," Sawant told PTI after the function.

The first-time MP said, "Nine times out of 10, we are invited at a very short notice. Railway officials have forgotten that we have other social and political commitments and we need to be informed well in advance."

Stating that he was not against any railway project per se, he said he was opposed to the way they are being launched with a "well-thought out plan of keeping Sena representatives away" from such functions.
"I have informed Suresh Prabhu about this delay in sending out invites to Sena MPs, but as usual he has done nothing," Sawant said, adding, "If Railway officials do not stop this practice soon, then we will handle it in Shiv Sena's trademark style in the near future."

When contacted, a senior Railway official said the public representatives concerned are generally invited as and when the announcements about such events are made.
(Reopens BES 34)
Meanwhile, expressing disappointment over the Sena MP's comments, Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar said nothing was more important than development and such remarks could have been avoided.
"I also got the invitation for the Bandra event late, but still I managed to attend, albeit a bit late," Shelar said.
"Peoples' representatives should keep their personal prestige issues aside and engage in fabulous development works Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has done," the BJP leader said.

(Reopens BES 40)
Shelar added that respect or protocol is not a bigger
issue than providing facilities to people.
"When public amenities are being inaugurated, then one should set aside personal egos and avoid such unpleasant incidents (protest by Sawant by way of wearing a black scarf)," he said.
Shelar also taunted Sawant saying that in the past, elected representatives could be seen staging protests for development works not being done.
"But now, when every week a development work is being inaugurated, for the first time one saw an elected representatives protesting against it," he said.
He, however, added the Railway administration should have respected the MPs and elected representatives and if that has not happened, then the officials have definitely erred.