Dinesh Trivedi to attend Mamata's meet in Delhi today

New Delhi/Kolkata:  Prime Minister Manmohan Singh used his Motion of Thanks on the President's address today to meet at least one demand of the Opposition - clarity on the status of Dinesh Trivedi, who was Railways Minister till he quit last night. Dr Singh confirmed that last night, he had received first an email and then a formal letter of resignation from Mr Trivedi. He said that he had accepted Mr Trivedi's resignation and has forwarded the former minister's letter to President Pratibha Patil. He also said that he regrets the departure of Mr Trivedi, who belongs to Mamata Banerjee's party, the Trinamool Congress. Minutes later, Ms Banerjee retorted outside Parliament that the PM's remarks reflect "a personal opinion" and one that her party does not share.  
She also indicated that the hike in passenger fares, proposed by Mr Trivedi last week, will be rolled back, at least for the cheaper trains and coaches used most by the aam admi or common man. She said that while pricier tickets for AC and super-class fares was alright, but passengers traveling in the lower class should not suffer.

"We should do what is needed, but will not do anything that will disturb the aam janta. This is our policy," she said.

Ms Banerjee, along with party leader Mukul Roy, met with the Prime Minister. Mr Roy is Mamata's candidate for the new Railways minister and may be sworn-in as early as tomorrow.

While sharing that he has accepted Mr Trivedi's resignation, Dr Singh highlighted the difficulties of coalition politics and with some irony lauded Mr Trivedi for having presented a "Railway Budget which promised to carry out the vision 2020 that was outlined by his predecessor." Mr Trivedi's predecessor in Rail Bhawan was Mamata Banerjee, who is his party's chief, and demanded Mr Trivedi's resignation for proposing a hike in passenger fares.

As soon as the Lok Sabha convened after the weekend, the BJP said the Prime Minister must address Parliament to explain the chain of events that led to the Rail Minister's exit. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee replied that Mr Trivedi's resignation had been received and that the Prime Minister was considering it. "When a decision is made, it will be shared with the House," he said.

The BJP's Yashwant Sinha said, "The PM is the head of the Cabinet. He has the right to give a portfolio to someone else. But he is also obliged to share information with Parliament. But we are discovering everything in the newspapers," he said.

"Dinesh Trivedi is in the House. He should also clarify the situation to Parliament," Mr Sinha added.

Gurudas Dasgupta of the Left also said the Prime Minister owes parliament an explanation. "A backstage drama is taking place. Parliament is in session and we don't know what is happening," he said.

Mr Sinha brought a smile to the Finance Minister's face when he took a swipe at the PM saying he had great respect for Mr Mukherjee, who is Leader of the Lok Sabha; "the PM should have been leader but couldn't make it," Mr Sinha said. Dr Manmohan Singh is a rare Indian PM who is not a member of the Lok Sabha. He is a Rajya Sabha member from Guwahati.
Meanwhile, Mr Trivedi will come face-to-face with Ms Banerjee for the first time today at a meeting of MPs of their party. He has not seen her since he presented his budget. He said last night that he continues to think of Ms Banerjee as his leader and has no plans to switch parties. Ms Banerjee simply said last night before leaving Kolkata for Delhi that she plans to meet "with all my people."

For NDTV Updates, follow us on Twitter or join us on Facebook

View the original article here

Dinesh Trivedi wants marching orders in writing from Mamata

New Delhi\Kolkata:  Dinesh Trivedi has refused to resign as Railways Minister till he receives orders in writing from his party chief, Mamata Banerjee. "Till the time the matter is absolutely clear, I have suggested I do not want to take anything verbal. For me, Parliament has more sanctity than anything. So, I suggested let Mamata write me a letter so that there is no confusion...I will perform my duty as a Railway Minister," Mr Trivedi told reporters in New Delhi today.

Acting on Ms Banerjee's behalf, party colleague Kalyan Banerjee has reportedly told Mr Trivedi that when he was made Railways Minister, he did not receive written notice; hence it's not required now.

Since Ms Banerjee wrote to the PM asking for Mr Trivedi's removal, he has defied her repeatedly. He has attended Parliament and refused to rollback the hike in passenger fares that led to her demanding his dismissal. On record, he has been deferential, stating that he will quit as soon as Ms Banerjee requests. The two have reportedly not spoken directly since Mr Trivedi presented his Rail Budget on Wednesday.

Ms Banerjee has said repeatedly that she wants Mukul Roy, also from her party, to be made the new Railways Minister. The Congress had asked her to wait till March 30 when Parliament breaks to make the change. She has allegedly indicated that is not acceptable. Today in Kolkata she said, "Mukul Roy will be next Railways Minister. He has been a Trinamool MP for six years already. He has been re-nominated to the Rajya Sabha this time. He is a good worker.  Now the government will have to decide."

However last night, it appeared that Ms Banerjee had lifted that deadline. "It is nothing to be hurried, nothing to be worried. The issue is being dealt with by the PM and Mamata," said Sudip Bandhopadhyay, who is from the Trinamool Congress (TMC). He added that the Prime Minister and Ms Banerjee spoke on Thursday night.

The lifting of the deadline for Mr Trivedi's removal suggested that Ms Banerjee was not immune to reports that the Congress has been considering replacing her in the ruling coalition at the Centre with Mulayam Singh Yadav and his Samajwadi Party MPs.

Sources in both the Congress and Ms Banerjee's party say that both sides are also close to resolving another large dispute. On Monday, in Parliament, the Prime Minister will address some of the concerns raised by Ms Banerjee to the new National Counter Terror Centre or NCTC. Ms Banerjee has said the NCTC's powers violate the autonomy of state governments and federalism. Her party moved amendments to the President's address to Parliament earlier this week, asking for a reference to the NCTC to be deleted. The President's address outlines the government's agenda; allies rarely ask for amendments. The BJP has moved similar amendments on the NCTC, and is likely to press for a vote. That could put Ms Banerjee's MPs in the awkward position of voting with the BJP and against the government. The PM, in his reply to the motion of thanks to the President's address on Monday, is expected to assuage Ms Banerjee's fears about the NCTC. That could help diffuse at least some of the tension between the political partners.

For NDTV Updates, follow us on Twitter or join us on Facebook

View the original article here

Five railway unions write to PM in support of Dinesh Trivedi

New Delhi:  His party, the Trinamool Congress, may not want him as the Railways Minister anymore but Dinesh Trivedi has found some much-needed backing from the behemoth that he is currently in charge of. Five railway unions have written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressing support for Mr Trivedi, urging him to "not allow the politicisation of the Indian Railways".

The unions have, in their letter, threatened to agitate if there is a rollback in hike in passenger fares. The rise in fares, which was announced in the Railways Budget presented by Mr Trivedi on Wednesday, had triggered a political storm with Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee throwing a fit. But this time, it wasn't the Congress but her own party man Mr Trivedi, who was at the receiving end of her anger. Ms Banerjee promptly shot off a letter to the Prime Minister, demanding Mr Trivedi's immediate removal as the Railways Minister. That was not all. She also asked all her leaders to go their respective constituencies to explain the "betrayal" by Mr Trivedi. Her party also wants the government the reverse the rise in fares.  

The unions, though, have made it clear that a rollback isn't acceptable to them if it is not met with a corresponding increase in support from the government exchequer. Mr Trivedi, who is facing flak from the Trinamool, has justified his decision to increase fares as one that would help raise funds for the development and modernisation of Railways. "If you roll back the fares, you have to roll back safety too," he has said. The fare hike he has announced is nominal - two paise per km for the cheapest tickets and 30 paise per kilometre for the most expensive ones.

Mamata Banerjee has already sounded out the government that she isn't willing to wait any further for Mr Trivedi's removal, reflecting in her announcement of the minister's replacement, Mukul Roy. "Mukul Roy will be next Railways Minister. He has been a Trinamool MP for six years already. He has been re-nominated to the Rajya Sabha this time. He is a good worker. Now the government will have to decide," she said in Kolkata today. With her party bringing in 19 crucial MPs to the table, the Congress which heads the UPA coalition, is also avoiding a fresh confrontation with Ms Banerjee and a resultant deterioration of the already-strained ties with her party. Dinesh Trivedi, who has defiantly stayed on as the Railways Minister so far, today made it clear that he would step down only in the event of Ms Banerjee putting down her order in writing. "Till the time the matter is absolutely clear, I have suggested I do not want to take anything verbal. For me, Parliament has more sanctity than anything. So, I suggested let Mamata write me a letter so that there is no confusion...I will perform my duty as a Railway Minister," Mr Trivedi told reporters in New Delhi today. (Read: Dinesh Trivedi wants marching orders in writing from Mamata) With the railway unions rallying around him, the beleaguered minister may finally have some hope.

For NDTV Updates, follow us on Twitter or join us on Facebook

View the original article here

Dinesh Trivedi stays till March 30: Congress' firm message to Mamata

View the original article here

Is Dinesh Trivedi Railways Minister or not? Opposition asks govt to explain

New Delhi/Kolkata:  Like much of the country, an aggressive opposition today asked in Parliament if Dinesh Trivedi is still the country's Railways Minister. Yes, says the government, acknowledging that Mr Trivedi has not resigned yet. But the Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee also acknowledged that the Prime Minister has received a letter from Mr Trivedi's boss, Mamata Banerjee, asking for his removal. Dr Manmohan Singh was non-committal despite the opposition's demands for an explanation. "If the situation arises, we will consider it," he told reporters.
Mr Trivedi was in the House, and was seen smiling.  He has reportedly defied Ms Banerjee's instructions to attend Parliament today.    
Mr Trivedi has provoked the wrath of Ms Banerjee because he allegedly did not consult her about the hike in passenger fares that he announced in his Railways Budget yesterday- the first in nine years. Ms Banerjee wants a rollback in those fares, at least for the cheap tickets that are normally bought by the aam admi or common man.
Ms Banerjee's Trinamool Congress is a key member of the government with 19 Lok Sabha MPs.  Its leaders today said in Parliament that they remain committed to the ruling coalition, the lone piece of good news this morning for the Congress. Trinamool leader Sudip Bandhopadhyay also told the Lok Sabha, "We have not asked for Dinesh Trivedi's resignation."  Sources say this was meant to indicate that the party will not be content with Mr Trivedi resigning, it wants him to be fired.
But the opposition pointed out that the drama over Mr Trivedi is an unprecedented political crisis.  "Is he the Railways Minister and is the budget he presented yesterday alive or dead?" asked the BJP's Sushma Swaraj. Other leaders pointed out that even as Parliament was discussing Mr Trivedi's status, MPs from his party were on a dharna outside against the minister and the new fares he announced in his Railways Budget yesterday.  This is a theatre of the absurd," said the BJP's Arun Jaitley
This morning, sources said that the Congress had given in to Ms Banerjee's two big demands: that Mr Trivedi would be replaced by her close confidante Mukul Roy as Railways Minister, and that the increased fares would be rolled back, at least for the cheaper tickets.  However, Mr Mukherjee has urged Ms Banerjee to wait for these changes till after the union budget is presented tomorrow.   But Ms Banerjee is not known for compromises.  So her party members have begun a protest at parliament, demanding that the hike in passenger fares be reversed.  They also want a financial package from the centre for West Bengal, which is seeped in debt. Among the Trinamool Congress leaders on "strike" at Parliament is the man tipped to be the next Railways Minister, Mr Roy.
Even as that drama continues, Ms Banerjee is needling the Congress on another front.  A group of MPs from her party will meet the Prime Minister today.  "We will convey we are upset with the NCTC," said Sudip Bandhopadhyay, who will be among them. He is also a minister from Ms Banerjee's party, the Trinamool Congress.
The NCTC refers to the new National Counter Terror Centre.  Ms Banerjee, who heads the Trinamool Congress and the Bengal government, has captained a group of ten chief ministers who have objected to the NCTC, forcing a delay in its commissioning.  Non-Congress states say the anti-terror hub has powers that over-ride those of state governments on law and order, and that violates the federal structure of the country.  

Ms Banerjee amplified her opposition to the NCTC by moving amendments to the vote of thank to the President's address.  Earlier this week, President Pratibha Patil outlined for parliament the agenda of the government.  Ms Banerjee wants the term "NCTC" to be deleted from that address.  The BJP has filed similar amendments. What that means is that the BJP will push for a vote.  And Ms Banerjee's MPs may find themselves voting alongside the opposition and against the government that they belong to.  When asked if that's likely, Mr Bandhopadhyay said, "We will talk when the cup of tea comes to my lip."

For NDTV Updates, follow us on Twitter or join us on Facebook

View the original article here

Full transcript: Dinesh Trivedi speaks to NDTV

New Delhi:  NDTV: Mr Trivedi everybody is talking only about politics. How upset are you at what your party has done to you?

Dinesh Trivedi: I am not upset at all. In fact I am very happy with my budget because every Member of Parliament cutting across party lines have come and congratulated me. The aam aadmi on the street, the general feeling is it's a very good budget and more than anything else, I have done my duty to the best of my ability, and I am very happy and I am very relaxed as you can see my face.

NDTV: I can see your face and you are smiling but I am wondering if you are just putting on a brave face?

Dinesh Trivedi: You can't put on a brave face if you are not brave.

NDTV: Okay, you said Mr Trivedi, that every Member of Parliament and many other people congratulated you. But your own party did not. You know that. You know Derek O Brien tweeted, saying that he could not support a fare hike for upper class passengers. You know the Sudip Bandyopadhyay went on record to say that you did not consult the party. Do you feel backstabbed by your party or is it that you guys are playing good cop, bad cop? What is going on?

Dinesh Trivedi: I have done whatever is good for Indian Railways and which is good for the country and Barkha, I have been trained from my childhood. Whatever you do should be good for your country and for me and I have no hesitation in telling and it's not bravado. For me the country comes first and then comes my family and the rest. So I have just no problems. I am very happy about it and I am not even looking at whatever you are talking about. Whether 'A' or 'B' has tweeted, not tweeted, that is not my problem. My thinking is I should have done whatever I did, that's it.

NDTV: Do you stand by what you did? Because you said at your press conference, after you made the announcement in fare hikes, that if there is going to be roll back on hikes, then you may as well roll back on safety. Do you stand by that?

Dinesh Trivedi: Of course, of course. You know Barkha it's a package and I know Railways now little bit. I am concerned about the safety, where is the money for safety? Today I had to borrow 3000 crores from Finance Ministry to balance the Budget of 2011- 2012. Where is the money going to come? And tomorrow even I have to spend money for projects, which we have announced for all different states, including the state of West Bengal. Where is the money going to come?

NDTV: So do I take that to mean Mr Trivedi, and I know you to be a direct person, so I know you will answer me directly. Do I take it to mean that you are ruling out a roll back?

Dinesh Trivedi: I can only tell you that Parliament is in session and I cannot make any comments, which is supposed to be a policy decision, on camera like this. Because at the end of the day today I am the Railway Minister, so I can only tell you, and I think I have told you in no uncertain words, that I will only do what is good for Indian Railways.

NDTV: And you have actually said in no uncertain words that a roll back would mean a compromise in safety. You are at least standing by that?

Dinesh Trivedi: I am standing by that because I don't want to compromise on safety and if the Govt of India is willing to give me extra budgetary support, then it is. I have rolled out my entire plan, my entire plan will go; it's not the child's play. No?

NDTV: Mr Trivedi, when your party says that you did not consult them, you are a unilateralist. What would you say to them?

Dinesh Trivedi: No, it's a fact.
NDTV: It's a fact?

Dinesh Trivedi: You know everybody's notion that Mamata Banerjee interferes; to be fair with her she has never interfered in my work. Never and I respect her for that.

NDTV: So in other words she has never interfered. But when they say that you didn't discuss the Rail Budget with them that is accurate as well?

Dinesh Trivedi: Absolutely accurate. Sure, sure, I didn't consult her.

NDTV: You did not consult her on the fare hike because you wanted to show that you are independent of Writers Building in Kolkata?

Dinesh Trivedi: There is no bravado to show something and not to show something. I did whatever I was asked to. If you are, and I am sure that she would have so much of confidence in me, if you Railway Minister, you are supposed to do whatever is good for Indian Railways. I have taken a conscious decision and that is it.

NDTV: But I want to understand what you mean when you say sure I didn't consult her. Are you saying that you believe that that was a professional thing to do, to leave the party out of it?

Dinesh Trivedi: No consult in what way? When you prepare a budget, budget is supposed to be a confidential document, right, even sometimes the Chairman of the State, sometimes the Prime Minister also doesn't know. Very honestly PM also did not know what exactly I was doing, it's your thing.

NDTV: I want to ask you something because I know you are among the Ministers who skipped the Prime Minister's dinner yesterday. When you present the Budget ..

Dinesh Trivedi: No I was, let me clarify, the invitation was to the party, not the individuals and whoever the party nominated, he or she went.

NDTV: The question I was going to ask was, when you are working on a budget who is the boss for you? Is it the Prime Minister, because you are the Union Minister and the PM heads the Cabinet, or is it Mamata Banerjee, who put you in the Cabinet?

Dinesh Trivedi: See, no, as far as the system goes, that by and large you just tell your intentions that, this is when the Planning Commission is involved, but nobody is involved when I have to consult them on what should be the hike. How much should I do it, it's left to the Railway Minster. So you don't need to consult anybody. And I did not consult anybody including the Finance Minister. This is a loose rumour going around that it was Finance Minister or the Prime Minister, no.

NDTV: So it wasn't Pranab Mukherjee's bite that is what you are clarifying?

Dinesh Trivedi: Not at all. Not at all. Not at all. And I am sure, Pranab Mukherjee is a very wise person, and if I would have asked him, I know his answer would have been, consult your Leader first and then do whatever you want to do.

NDTV: Okay, got that. Dineshbhai, for those who are saying and many tongues wagging in Delhi today, as you know, to those who are saying that Mamata Banerjee is upset with Dinesh Trivedi because he is too close to the Congress, that's why this all has happened. What would you say?

Dinesh Trivedi: Well if you see a snake in a rope, I don't think there is any answer to that.

NDTV: Why do you believe that your party has believed the way it has?

Dinesh Trivedi: I don't know. I have no clue. Because I have been busy with my budget, I have been busy with the Media throughout, after the Budget, I have not had any time even to have a cup of tea.

NDTV: So you are clueless, you don't know why this has happened? Has Mamata Banerjee spoken to you? Has anyone from Trinamool spoken to you since you presented the Budget?

Dinesh Trivedi: No they have not spoken and then you know, I mean, Barkha, please understand I have taken a conscious decision. What is good for the Railway and that's it. And I am a proud patriotic citizen, and for me I will repeat, what comes first is the country. My family,.my child, my everybody comes second. I mean this is a great country where people have sacrificed their lives. They have gone to the gallows yaar, and if you have not taken any lessons from this, and if we have petty politics that we stick to our chairs, that is not the way you run a country.  And that is not the way you should be in politics.

NDTV: So your duty comes first, politics comes second?

Dinesh Trivedi: Of course Party comes first. Politics doesn't come; my duty comes. I am in politics because of my duty to the country. I am not here just to warm up the chair and be in the chair at any cost even if the country goes to hell. No, I am very proud and that is the way I have been trained by my parents.

NDTV: What if this position costs you your job?

Dinesh Trivedi: I don't care about the job. I have told you. Bhagat Singh went on gallows to give his life. There are lots of soldiers who die. What is the job yaar? I don't understand this philosophy, nothing is permanent, your life is not permanent.
NDTV: To those who think that you may resign instead of rolling back, because you have just said, what is a job yaar, are you going to resign Mr Trivedi?

Dinesh Trivedi: Nahi, that I am telling when you say, if you lose your job.

NDTV: But are you going to resign, instead of rolling back?

Dinesh Trivedi: But I don't do anything, which is not done in a disciplined manner. I will always do, tomorrow if my Leader tells 'you resign', I will resign. Because after all she has put me here which I said in my speech also.

NDTV: Dinesh Trivedi, I want to ask you and I would appeal you to speak directly, you have been speaking very directly, you said you will do nothing which is not in a disciplined way. If your Leader wants you to resign, you will. Many people believe that Mamata Banerjee has given you only two options, to roll back or to resign. Which one of these options is preferable to you?

Dinesh Trivedi: But the options have not come to me. Let it come. And whatever my conscience tells me at that moment, I will do that. Whatever is good for the country I will do that. You can be rest assured.

NDTV: You know I want to read out a tweet for you from Omar Abdullah and Omar Abdullah tweeting saying, it says, 'all said and done I would hate to be in Dinesh Trivedi's shoes today. Today was supposed to be the highlight of his political career. Poor chap'. Is that how you see yourself Dinesh?

Dinesh Trivedi: No, I thank Omar, he is a very dear friend and he must have really felt; but no, I have done my duty. When you do your duty, you don't feel bad. You feel bad if you have not done your duty. If I had not done my duty, then I would have had a sense of guilt. I am absolutely a free bird today and I am thankful to Almighty. Almighty has given me courage to go ahead and present this kind of budget.

NDTV: Last question, do you still believe that you will be Rail Minister tomorrow morning will you be Rail Minister? Will your Rail Budget get passed?

Trivedi: Can anybody say whether I am going to be alive or anybody would be alive tomorrow? Nothing is certain. So please have a philosophical and spiritual approach to life. Do your part of the duty to the best of your ability and that's it. This is a country, which has taught so much of spirituality. And if you have not learnt, then you haven't learnt life. You have wasted your time. You have wasted the birth also.

For NDTV Updates, follow us on Twitter or join us on Facebook

View the original article here

Mamata Banerjee has her way, PM to sack Dinesh Trivedi: Sources

Sorry, but we can't find what you were looking for right now.

The content may have been removed, or is temporarily unavailable.

View the original article here

Mamata wins, Dinesh Trivedi resigns, rollback of fare hike soon: Sources

New Delhi:  Mamata Banerjee has proved that in its current state, the Congress cannot refuse any demand she presents. The Prime Minister will agree, say sources, that her own party colleague, Dinesh Trivedi, will be fired as Railways Minister. Sources also say Mr Trivedi has sent in his resignation to the PM. Ms Banerjee is punishing Mr Trivedi for announcing a nominal hike in passenger fares on Wednesday. The Railways budget he presented in Parliament had been described by the PM as progressive and modern. (Read: Who is Dinesh Trivedi?)

Ms Banerjee disagreed vehemently. She wrote to the Prime Minister earlier on Wednesday night asking for Mr Trivedi to be replaced by Mukul Roy, a union minister from her party. She also wants the government to reverse the hike in passenger fares announced by Mr Trivedi in Parliament today as he shared the Railways budget. Sources say the rollback might happen after March 16 - the day Union Budget will be presented in Parliament. The Congress' senior most leaders met tonight at the Prime Minister's residence where it was decided that its upto Ms Banerjee to decide her nominee to the union cabinet - she has suggested her party's Mukul Roy, currently a union minister. Mr Trivedi's removal will make political history - this is the first time that a minister will be fired even before Parliament debates his budget. (Read: Full text of Dinesh Trivedi speech on Railway Budget 2012)   

The Congress has decided to accelerate its courtship of Mulayam Singh Yadav as a possible replacement for Ms Banerjee, who has whipped the government into submission on many occasions because her 19 Lok Sabha MPs make her essential to the survival of the coalition. Mr Yadav's 22 MPs make him a viable option and he has often rescued the government by voting in its favour on crucial legislation. So senior Congress leaders like Pawan Bansal will attend the swearing-in today of his son, Akhilesh, as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.    

Mr  Trivedi said earlier today that he had done his duty and "now it is upto God."  The hike in fares he announced were nominal, ranging from two paise per kilometre to 30 paise per kilometre. This is the first hike in fares in nine years.  In a lengthy interview to NDTV this evening, he suggested that he was prepared for his dismissal. Mr Trivedi acknowledged that he had not briefed Ms Banerjee about the hike in fares. (Highlights - No clue why my party reacted this way: Dinesh Trivedi to NDTV)

Internally, say sources, the Trinamool Congress believes that if they don't oppose this hike they will find it difficult to object to the next petrol or diesel price hike - something they have done in the past to prove they stand for the aam admi or common man. (Railway Budget 2012 highlights)

Mr Trivedi was attacked by his own party immediately after he had presented his first rail budget. First, the Trinamool's Rajya Sabha MP Derek O Brien, tweeted, "Railway Budget... what was all that about increasing fares across the board? Upper class... maybe ok... but all? Sorry, cannot agree." Then, fellow TMC minister Sudip Bandopadhyay demanded that the hike be withdrawn. "We are opposing because of our party leader Mamata Banerjee who has taught us to protect interests of poor people."

The final word from Ms Banerjee came a little after 4 pm; she declared at a rally in Nandigram in Bengal, "We will not accept the hike, be sure of that." Ms Banerjee then headed back to Kolkata and reportedly wrote to the PM at around 8.30 in the evening asking that Mr Trivedi be removed. She has also summoned Mr Trivedi to Kolkata.  

Earlier today, sources said that Mr Trivedi had been ordered by Ms Banerjee to either resign or roll back the increased prices. He had indicated that he would not change his mind. Referring to the precarious financial health of the railways, he said, "The railways was getting into the ICU and I have pulled it out of ICU. You cannot have everything together." (Full transcript: Dinesh Trivedi speaks to NDTV)

Sources say Ms Banerjee has been upset with Mr Trivedi for a while now, possibly because of his perceived closeness to the Congress. He also ran into trouble last week when he said that his party may not be opposed to early general elections, which means the UPA would not last its full term. Ms Banerjee later said that her MPs had been asked not to express their personal views.

For NDTV Updates, follow us on Twitter or join us on Facebook

View the original article here

Full text of Dinesh Trivedi speech on Railway Budget 2012

New Delhi:  Dinesh Trivedi, presenting his first rail budget, had his task cut out. His focus, he said, was three-pronged: "Safety, safety, safety."  Following very closely behind were consolidation, decongestion and modernisation.

Here's the full text of his speech:

For NDTV Updates, follow us on Twitter or join us on Facebook

View the original article here

Will try to convince Mamata about new passenger fares: Dinesh Trivedi to NDTV

New Delhi:  After Railways Minister Dinesh Trivedi announced a nominal hike in train ticket fares today - the first in nine years - sources say his party chief Mamata Banerjee has told him to either resign or roll back the increased prices. Publically she has said that the hike is not acceptable.

The railway minister said, "I have done my duty... now I leave it to God." Referring to the precarious financial health of the railways, he said, "The railways was getting into the ICU and I have pulled it out of ICU. You cannot have everything together." The fares are nominal - two paise per km for the cheapest tickets and 30 paise per kilometre for the more expensive ones.

This was my Budget, not Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee's, not Mamata Banerjee's, said Mr Trivedi, hours after being publically reprimanded by his party for hiking fares. The Railway minister held that he was "very happy with my budget...MPs across party lines have congratulated me. The general feeling is it is a very good budget. I have done my duty to the best of my ability." He said the country came first, he had taken a conscious decision and that "I have no clue" why his party was hitting out at his budget, for he had been "too busy" with his budget. He also said that he would resign if he was asked to by his leader, who he said  he had not consulted on his budget, but insisted he would stand by good economics versus politics.

The final Triamool word comes from Nandigram in West Bengal, where Mamata Banerjee said, "I assure you that we will not accept this fare hike." Mr Trivedi said he would try to convince Ms Banerjee.

Immediately after Mr Trivedi presented his first rail budget, his party colleagues attacked him. First, the Trinamool's Rajya Sabha MP Derek O Brien, tweeted, "Railway Budget... what was all that about increasing fares across the board? Upper class... maybe ok... but all? Sorry, cannot agree." Then, fellow TMC minister Sudip Bandopadhyay demanded that the hike be withdrawn. "We are opposing because of our party leader Mamata Banerjee who has taught us to protect interests of poor people. We have told Dinesh Trivedi to withdraw the hike. The party has not discussed anything with minister on the railway budget," he said.

Ms Banerjee's diktat today causes huge embarrassment not just for Mr Trivedi, but for the UPA as well, where her party is a senior member. The Prime Minister praised Mr Trivedi's Railways budget, describing it as "forward-looking with emphasis on safety and modernisation." First reactions from passengers all over the country have been largely the same: that the fare hike is too nominal to really hurt passengers; they all said they would readily pay a little more for a safer journey. (Rail Budget: Passenger fares hiked after eight years; focus on safety, fiscal prudence) But with her 19 Lok Sabha MPs, Ms Banerjee has the power to topple the government. So no demand is dismissed out of hand. Referring to reports of her differences with the Railways Minister, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said this was "an internal TMC matter" and said issues like a potential rollback of fares would have to be "looked into."

"If you roll back the fares, you have to roll back safety too," countered the Railways Minister. His party chief's opposition was ideological, he said, making a point of the fact that "it is wrong to think that the railways ministry is run from Writer's Building (the seat of the West Bengal government in Kolkata)." The minister also said a difference of opinion did not mean a falling apart.

But sources say Ms Banerjee has been upset with Mr Trivedi for a while now, possibly because of his perceived closeness to the Congress. They say that Mr Trivedi meeting Rahul Gandhi recently did not wash well with Ms Banerjee, though Mr Trivedi had said it was to discuss some railway related matter. The, last week, Mr Trivedi said that his party may not be opposed to early general elections - Ms Banerjee later said that her MPs had been asked not to express their personal views.

As Dinesh Trivedi braves it out in political isolation, there is also a theory doing the rounds that Ms Banerjee and her minister could be playing good cop, bad cop. That the entire drama will play out to a denouement where Mr Trivedi will eventually roll back the fare hike and Ms Banerjee will be the political hero. For now, Mr Trivedi is resolute that there shall be no roll back.   

Sitaram Yechury of the Left says Ms Banerjee's stand today is duplicitous. "The Rail Budget is cleared by the government of which Dinesh is a part then they (TMC) go and protest," he said.

For NDTV Updates, follow us on Twitter or join us on Facebook

View the original article here

Highlights - No clue why my party reacted this way: Dinesh Trivedi to NDTV

New Delhi:  Dinesh Trivedi to NDTV after his party attacked the hike in fares for rail passengers announced by him today. His party chief, Mamata Banerjee said today that she will not accept this hike in fares. I will try and convince her, Mr Trivedi responded.  Here are the highlights of Mr Trivedi's interview: 
Not upset at all...am very happy with my budgetMPs across party lines have congratulated meGeneral feeling is very good budgetI have done my duty to the best of my abilityYou can't put on a brave face if you are not braveCountry comes first for me, then family and the restWhether A and B has tweeted, that's not my concern (dig at Derek O'Brien from his party who tweeted that the fare hike is not acceptable to Trinamool Congress)Where is the money for safety?  I don't want to compromise on safety.  Parliament is in session.  Cannot make any comments which will relate to policy decision (on whether rollback is likely)To be fair to Mamata Banerjee, she has never interfered with my work. And I respect her for that.Did not consult my party about railway budget.Did not consult Mamata about fare hikeI don't need to consult anybody.  It is left to Railways Minister to decide what needs to be done.Have no clue, don't know why party has reacted in this way  I am not here to keep my chair at any cost...no. I don't care about my jobBhagat Singh went to gallows for the country...what is a job? It is nothing.  It is not permanentIf my leader tells me to resign, I will do so.  After all, she has put me here.  You can be good friends and also differ.  I can respect Mamata and also differ with her.I am absolutely a free bird today...if I had not done my duty, I would feel guiltWill leave it to people to decide what is right or wrong. This is a democracy

For NDTV Updates, follow us on Twitter or join us on Facebook

View the original article here

Who is Dinesh Trivedi?

New Delhi/Kolkata:  The spiraldown from Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee's trusted pointsman in New Delhi to party outcast took Dinesh Trivedi but some months as Railway Minister and a bold rail budget.

A trained pilot and an articulate, suave and widely travelled politician, Mr Trivedi landed in trouble after he announced a hike in passenger fares in his first rail budget. The hike he announced today was nominal, but Ms Banerjee is said to be "deeply upset" and has said it is unacceptable. Trinamool leaders said it is against the party's DNA.

And late on Wednesday night, sources said, he sent in his resignation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who will forward it to the President. That came after Mr Trivedi's party chief, Mamata Banerjee, wrote to the PM asking for Mr Trivedi to be fired as Railways Minister. Ms Banerjee is punishing Mr Trivedi for announcing a nominal hike in train passenger fares in his budget.

Mr Trivedi's removal will make political history - this is the first time that a minister will be removed even before Parliament debates his budget. J&K chief minister and UPA ally Omar Abdullah, tweeted on Thursday morning, "Long after other #railway ministers are forgotten #DineshTriwedi will still be an answer to a General Knowledge or Entrance test question."

Mr Trivedi, who comes from a business family, thought otherwise. For him it was more important for the railways to mop up internal resources and make the ailing behemoth healthy and increase its safety and security levels in the interest of the passengers. And despite the loud demands from his party for a roll-back of the fare hikes, and subtle suggestions that he put in his papers, Trivedi quietly defended his budget.

Trinamool leaders point out that though the 61-year-old Trivedi played a crucial role in maintaining the party's liaison with national political leaders for years, he was not Ms Banerjee's first choice as railway minister after she demitted office on becoming West Bengal chief minister last May. She had then handpicked her close aide, Mukul Roy, for the post, but it was said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh intervened and made it clear he disapproved of her choice. It was then that Ms Banerjee reportedly opted for Mr Trivedi, who had been serving as minister of state for health since emerging victorious from the Barrackpore constituency in North 24 Parganas district in the May, 2009 Lok Sabha polls.

Mr Trivedi, known for filing public suits, stepped into Banerjee's office at the Rail Bhavan last June. A couple of months before that, he had reportedly offered to resign as minister of state for health and family welfare in support of social activist Anna Hazare and his movement against corruption.

The elevation to cabinet rank in the plum railway ministry was considered a feather in the cap for Mr Trivedi, an MBA from Texas, who had worked hard during the Trinamool's troubled times for the better part of the 1990s and most part of the next decade.

Mr Trivedi is a commerce graduate from Kolkata's famous St. Xavier's College and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin. He was in the travel business before he joined politics. He started his career as a Congressman, who switched over to the V.P. Singh-led Janata Dal. He first entered Parliament as a Rajya Sabha member in 1990 and remained in the Upper House till 2008.

(With IANS inputs)

For NDTV Updates, follow us on Twitter or join us on Facebook

View the original article here