New Delhi, July 07: Government today came under a blistering attack from main opposition BJP which said Railway turnaround in the last five years was nothing but a financial “jugglery” similar to Satyam scam, a charge denied by former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad. Both in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, the BJP was in an offensive, seeking to corner the UPA government which presented its sixth Railway Budget on Friday last.
Initiating the debate on the Railway Budget in the Lok Sabha, BJP leader Ananth Kumar said that the turnaround in the Railways was being done through “jugglery” and “Gumrah (misleading) trick”. He sought to draw a parallel between the railway finances and the Satyam episode.
In a similar tone, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley alleged that the accounts were “juggled” during Prasad”s tenure. Rejecting the charges of financial jugglery, a combative Prasad demanded setting up a Parliamentary Committee within seven days to probe into the allegations and clear “doubts”.
The RJD chief said a “confusion” was being created about the performance of the ministry during his tenure which he described as the “golden period of Indian Railways”. The opposition also targeted Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee for turning the budget into West Bengal-centric and giving a thrust to non-core activities rather than improving the passenger amenities.
—-Agencies