14 March 2012
Dinesh Trivedi's maiden railway budget could well be his last, if the reaction from his own party is any indicator.*
In what can only be described as unprecedented, unconventional, or, comic, barely had Mr Trivedi commended the budget to the House than his party colleagues demanded that the increase in the passenger fares be rolled back in the interest of the common man, who, they said, is already reeling under the burden of recent increases in the prices of fuels and essential commodities.
Sudip Bandopadhyay, a Trinamool MP and Union minister of state of health and family welfare, was the first to fly off the handle, describing the hike in the fares as being against the party's principles and stated position. The Trinamool Congress wants withdrawal of the rail-fare hike, Mr Bandopadhyay told reporters matter-of-factly, suggesting an open breaking of ranks by Mr Trivedi. When pointed out that Mr Trivedi and Mr Bandopadhyay belonged to the same party, Mr Bandopadhyay said that Mr Trivedi, as the railway minister, had performed his Constitutional duty but the party was steadfast in its demand of a roll-back. "The Trinamool Congress never rolls back its demand," Mr Bandopadhyay added for good measure, indicating that the ball was squarely in the court of the UPA Government.
Another Trinamool MP and party spokesman Derek O'Brien was even more candid. "... yes, our party has issues on content," O'Brien said in a message on his Twitter account. "Railway Budget...what was all that about increasing fares across the board? Upper class...maybe ok...but all? Sorry, cannot agree (sic)” read another tweet by him.
The tremors of Mr Trivedi's decision to hike fares was immediately felt in Kolkata, where party supremo and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee was hardpressed to defend it. The message from Writers' Building to Rail Bhavan was clear: Roll back, or else.
Speaking to reporters at Nandigram in West Bengal, Ms Banerjee said that her party was opposed to the hike.
"We will not accept the fire hike. We will not allow the fire hike to happen for the sake of the common man... we are totally against it. I can assure you this," Ms Banerjee said.
Later in the day, Mr Bandopadhyay told reporters in New Delhi that if necessary, the party will move a cut motion on the issue in Parliament, indicating little possibility of a compromise. In an oblique reference to Mr Trivedi, Mr Bandopadhyay also said that everyone should know that Trinamool was united and committed to its leader, Ms Mamata Banerjee. "Those who do not not abide by the party directive may quit the party. We have no no feelings for them,” he asserted. Adding insult to injury, he indicated that the party could propose a new name to replace Mr Trivedi as railway minister. Furthermore, the Trinamool MPs are likely to take up the issue of rail fare-hike during their sit-in outside Parliament House on Thursday. Also, a delegation of Trinamool MPs is expected to call on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to press for a roll-back of the fares.
The knives were always out for Mr Trivedi; his decision to hike rail fares has further isolated him. Mr Trivedi has not particularly endeared himself to his party for not forcefully articulating Ms Mamata Banerjee's position on key policy issues that were discussed in Cabinet meetings chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Also, Mr Trivedi is the lone Trinamool minister with a Cabinet rank in the UPA Government when those senior to him in the party, such as Mukul Roy, are only ministers of state. Furthermore, Mr Trivedi's effusive praise for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, and Ms Mamata Banerjee, in that order, in his budget speech left many wondering where his loyalties lie.
Trinamool sources insisted that Mr Trivedi's decision to hike the rail fares went against the grain of the party's stated position. More so, after the party threatened to pull out of the UPA last year over an increase in fuel prices.
However, the Trinamool party's critics would argue that the open criticism of their own minister was unfounded, particularly after Ms Banerjee's government in Bengal allowed the state-run power distribution utility to raise tariff on account of rise in coal prices.
The only praise for Mr Trivedi, predictably, came from the Congress party and the industry. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh described the budget as forward-looking with emphasis on safety and modernisation. Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, in turn, welcomed Mr Trivedi's attempt to bring down the operating cost of the Indian Railways.
Industry chambers such as CII and Assocham said that the "very minimal" hike in rail fares was a good decision as they had not been increased in nearly a decade.
Mr Trivedi defended himself by maintaining that the hike was not steep. "The Railways was getting into the ICU and I have pulled it out of it," he said stoically. "You cannot have everything".
For somebody who famously asserted in the speech that he has opted to bite the bullet, as opposed to maintaining a status quo, the next few days could determine whether Mr Trivedi actually ended up biting off more than he could chew.
* The report was filed at 4.20 pm on Wednesday, 14 March 2012.
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