Railways ministry a victim of coalition politics: BJP

New Delhi: BJP today held Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who also holds the Railways portfolio, for the Fatehpur train mishap that left scores of people dead and alleged that lack of political will on the part of UPA had rendered the ministry an “orphan”. “BJP expresses concern over the state of affairs in the Railway Ministry. It has become a victim of coalition politics in both UPA-I and UPA-II. The ministry has become an orphan and is surviving without any protection or guidance,” BJP spokesperson Jagat Prakash Nadda said. The party, led by its president Nitin Gadkari, condoled the death of over 60 people due to derailment of Kalka mail at Fatehpur in Uttar Pradesh yesterday. [caption id=“attachment_39694” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Rescue work in progress at the accident site, where Kalka mail derailed on Sunday, near Malwan railway stration in Fatehpur district of Uttar Pradesh on Monday.PTI”]  [/caption] Nadda held Prime Minister Singh, who has kept the Railways portfolio with himself since Mamata Banerjee resigned to become Chief Minister of West Bengal, responsible for the poor state of affairs in the ministry.  “The Prime Minister is squarely responsible for this… It is his weakness that he never intervened when Lalu Prasad and Mamata Banerjee were running the ministry,” he said. He alleged that the UPA government was “insensitive” and warned that “passing the buck” will not do. Nadda also blamed former Railway Ministers Mamata Banerjee and Lalu Prasad for the problems being faced by Indian Railways today.  “As Railway Minister in UPA-I, Prasad had made tall claims of profits and given wrong figures. He also projected himself as a management guru at that time. Mamata Banerjee, who succeeded him, deflated his tall claims. But this ministry has now become a joke which is unbearable,” Nadda said. PTI