TMC Challenges BJP Over Alleged Railway Budget Bias

Trinamool Congress MPs accused the BJP government of cutting railway budgets in opposition states. They criticized Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw over a budget discussion error. TMC leader Derek O'Brien raised objections leading to a protest walkout, criticizing discriminatory budget cuts impacting West Bengal while favoring BJP-ruled states.

The Trinamool Congress has voiced strong accusations against the BJP-led government, claiming that railway allocations to opposition-ruled states have been unfairly reduced. This issue came to a head during a heated exchange in Parliament on Monday.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw found himself in hot water after a misstep during his ministry's budget debate in the Rajya Sabha. He was called out by TMC's Derek O'Brien for mistakenly asking the House to pass the "budget" without "cut motions," which was not the topic under discussion.

Following this, O'Brien and other TMC MPs protested by staging a walkout. Speaking to reporters, O'Brien criticized the BJP for cutting funds for opposition states like West Bengal, alleging that budget cuts were politically motivated to undermine Mamata Banerjee's government.

(With inputs from agencies.)