PM gives speeches on bullet trains while poor die: Rahul

New Delhi: Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi on Monday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving speeches on bullet trains but not about maintenance of railway tracks and safety of passengers.

In a reference to the Indore-Patna Express mishap on Sunday which killed 142 people, Rahul said the PM never consults even his own ministers, but operates on his ‘own level.’

On demonetisation, Rahul alleged that '15-20 people close to the PM' would fill their coffers, but the poor would suffer standing in queues.

Sarcastically, Rahul said the PM does not even need to come to the Parliament during the Winter Session.

“Wherever I went today I saw people were troubled. They said we are standing in queues while banks were giving money to a few rich people from the backdoor,” Rahul alleged.

He said he saw people suffering wherever he went on Monday. Rahul had visited ATMs earlier in the day in the national capital to interact with the people.

There is likely to be no let up in Opposition's protest over the demonetisation issue in the second week of the Winter Session of Parliament.

At a meeting of opposition parties this morning, it was decided that they will continue to press for an adjournment motion on demonetisation amid suggestions that

House may begin discussions under a separate rule which does not entail voting and moving a formal motion.

"The meeting at the outset noted with concern the insensitivity of the government regarding the train accident.

On an earlier occasion, the Prime Minister had rushed to an accident site in Kerala. But yesterday he was in Agra and did not go to the site," said CPI(M) leader Mohd Salim.

He said the opposition would also press for an obituary and adjournment of proceedings as a mark of respect for the people who are said to have died standing in queues at banks and ATMs victims.

Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge agreed that there is no precedent but added that the opposition would still press for it.

He also said the opposition may organise a dharna on the issue of demonetisation at Mahatma Gandhi's statue outside Parliament House but a final call could be taken this evening or tomorrow.

Discussions also took place on meeting the President after the dharna, but no final decision could be arrived at.

"The PM can speak on Coldplay but not address the Opposition on demonetisation, demands for a JPC on (alleged) leakage of demonetisation information to some corporates and deaths of people standing in queue to get money from banks and ATMs," said Salim.