india

Updated: Jul 03, 2019 23:39 IST

Railways minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday attacked the Congress for alleged doublespeak, saying it had pushed privatisation during the term of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and had claimed that disinvestment and privatization were useful economic tools.

A day after Congress MP and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi criticized the Narendra Modi government for corporatising the rail coach factory in Rae Bareli, her parliamentary constituency, Goyal said the unit had not produced even a single engine until 2014, the year in which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government came to power. The announcement of the coach factory in Rae Bareli had been made as long ago as in 2008, Goyal said. As many as 1,422 railway coaches were made at the factory last year, Goyal said.

The Railways minister said then-finance minister P Chidambaram had mentioned in his 2004-05 budget speech that disinvestment and privatisation were useful economic tools. Congress was seeking privatisation and not corporatisation, he charged

“The Congress’ doublespeak was at display yesterday and even today,” he said, replying to a question in the Lok Sabha. Congress members were seen protesting against Goyal’s remarks.