New Delhi, July 15: The sparring between railway minister Mamata Banerjee and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad continues apace, with Mamata refusing Lalu’s request for a Patna stop for the proposed New Delhi-Howrah “Duranto” train.
According to sources, Lalu made the request to Mamata as he was exiting finance minister Pranab Mukherjee’s office in Parliament. Mamatawas just stepping in then. Lalu was fully aware that the proposed “Duranto” trains were conceived as non-stop trains between two points.
“Mamatadi then politely told the minister that the concept of the trains precludes any stops,” sources said. The feud between the two began when Mamata refused to sanction a lifelong golden pass to Lalu and his family, which would entitle them to free railway travel for a lifetime.
She then announced a white paper on railway finances for the period when Lalu was railway minister, throwing doubts on his railway “turnaround” story. Things got worse after prime minister Manmohan Singh too pitched in for Mamata. This latest irritant promises not to be the last. Watch this space for developments in the Mamata versus Lalu saga.
–Agencies