Railroaded

When CPI(M) MP Basudeb Acharia rose to speak in the discussion on the Railway Budget in the Lok Sabha, he was attacked by both Trinamool Congress and Congress MPs. When Acharia pointed out that, among the other problems with the Railways, the average speed of freight trains was just 26 kms per hour, Congress MP Adhir Chowdhury asked, “what were you doing during the last five years as the Chairman of Railway Standing Committee?” When Acharia asked for more time to speak, the chief whip of Trinamool Congress told the chairperson of the Lok Sabha, “He has forgotten that his party has just 9 MPs from Bengal. In the Lok Sabha, one gets time according to the strength of his party.” When Acharia demanded new rail lines in the state, the Trinamool’s Kalyan Banerjee shouted, “Why don’t you demand one line between Nandan and Palm Avenue in Kolkata?” Nandan , the cultural hub of Kolkata is frequently visited by chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and his residence is at Palm Avenue. But Acharia was well-prepared and countered several of the attacks.