Yashwant, BJP flay Rail Budget

Senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha on Wednesday opposed the hike in train fares announced in the Rail Budget, saying the government should not have increased the rate in one go and put an 'additional burden' on the common man.

Sinha, a former Finance Minister, said the hike put a 'big burden' on the people as it is 'steep'.

"The fares should have been increased long ago in small doses."

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"However, this time the Railway Minister has put a big burden. For poor people, who are travelling 500 to 1000 km, the increase is steep," he told reporters inside Parliament House.

Sinha was reacting to the Rail Budget presented by Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi in which he announced increase in passenger fares.

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"If we don't do anything and suddenly do everything, then the impact is much worse. I hope this (the burden) is not reflected in the General Budget," he said.

Replying to question on the fare hike, he said, "They have juggled with the figures to hoodwink the common man. When we go into the fineprint, we will know what is the real burden."

Sinha also claimed that the figures given by Trivedi were 'only illusions'.

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BJP on Wednesday termed the Railway Budget as 'directionless' and 'anti-people', saying it will add to the woes of the common man already facing the brunt of spiralling prices.

"It is a directionless and anti-people budget," BJP's vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said, adding that without taking effective steps for ensuring security, facility and time, "announcements have been made for an expensive journey".

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He said at a time when the common man was already under attack from the burden of price rise and inflation, "the railway budget has given another bigger blow".

Naqvi said, "While the Railway minister has announced a five-year plan for taking care of security, facility and time, the burden of increased fare has been slapped on the common man in five minutes".

Bharatiya Janata Party general secretary Ananth Kumar said the Rail Budget was 'anti-aam aadmi' and there was no vision in the Budget.

"There is no vision. There is no action and passenger has been raised. . . prices will shoot up," he said.

He added, "This budget is annexure minister's annexure budget."