Slogan shouting, walkouts mar Rail budget

Slogan shouting and walkouts by members of the Opposition, Left parties and those of Samajwadi Party and BSP marred the presentation of Railway Budget by Minister Lalu Prasad in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

Joining them, even some Congress members were seen raising their voice against 'neglect' of their regions or states, with Parliamentary Affairs Minister P R Dasmunsi rushing to them and trying to calm their ruffled feathers.

The vociferous protests by members from most quarters forced Speaker Somnath Chatterjee ask Lalu Prasad to lay the remaining part of his speech on the table.

However, the minister continued to read out his speech for some time but later laid the speech.

Despite major announcements made by the minister to benefit various regions

and sections of people, and not hiking fares, members continued protesting the alleged neglect of their respective states.

Among Congress members who protested were Adhir Chowdhury, Avtar Singh Bhadana and some from the southern states.

Interesting was the divide among CPI-M MPs from West Bengal and Kerala.

While those from the eastern state walked out shouting that West Bengal had been 'ignored', many of their counterparts from Kerala were seen sitting quitely apparently being satisfied over the announcement that a locomotive factory would come up in their state.

The Kerala Marxist members also ignored appeals by their Bengali counterparts.

Railway Budget: 2008-09