Unfazed by the attack on him by his own party for raising rail fares, Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi on Wednesday justified the move saying it was a "conscious decision" in the best interest of the Railways.
Trivedi's resignation came amidst the exodus from Mamata Banerjee's party ahead of the West Bengal assembly poll.
He said permitting Etihad would not only amount to "certain demise of national carrier Air India" but also stunt the growth of the New Delhi international airport as a world-class hub for the South Asian region.
Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi's remarks after presenting the rail budget make it clear that he knew all along that he was on his way out. Sheela Bhatt reports.
Former Trinamool Congress MP Dinesh Trivedi joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday, weeks after he announced quitting his Rajya Sabha membership on the floor of the House deploring 'violence' in poll-bound West Bengal.
Attacking the prime minister over the removal of Dinesh Trivedi, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday said if the former railways minister was sacked due to the increase in fares, the role of the prime minister and finance minister should also be questioned in the whole episode. Trivedi, who had presented the Rail Budget on Wednesday, was replaced by Trinamool Congress with Mukul Roy after party chief Mamata Banerjee opposed the increase in rail fares.
Dinesh Trivedi, late on Wednesday night, sent his resignation letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, according to television reports. Mukul Roy, minister of state for shipping, who had earlier served in the railway ministry, is expected to take over. The government is also expected to announce a rollback on hike in rail fares.
Despite a party leader who doesn't seem to put much faith in him and barbs on his first-time ministership, Trivedi is determined to revamp the Indian Railways.
Issue of FDI in retail is solidly backed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The Trinamool Congress MP said he is unable to bear various incidents that are happening in West Bengal.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Sunday alleged that Dinesh Trivedi, who resigned from the Rajya Sabha on Friday, took the 'House for a ride' and was 'allowed' to use the floor of the House for his 'devious political ends'.
Angry over the hike in passenger fares in the Railway Budget, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to remove her party nominee Dinesh Trivedi from the post of railway minister.
Dinesh Trivedi takes a dig at Mamata over cartoon row
Sheela Bhatt traces the fascinating life journey of India's new Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi.
Trivedi played a smart one, but not a very intelligent one, on Mamata, but she is likely to have the last laugh on the issue, reports Sheela Bhatt
Trinamool Congress on Monday ruled out any action against Dinesh Trivedi, who resigned as railway minister, saying that he has been asked to attend the parliamentary party meeting which party chief Mamata Banerjee is expected to attend.
Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi's problems appeared to have compounded on Saturday with members of his party, the Trinamool Congress asking him to vacate his parliamentary seat.
The Trinamool Congress on Monday ruled out expelling Dinesh Trivedi who had to resign after earning the wrath of party chief Mamata Banerjee for raising passenger fares in rail budget.
The Congress on Thursday sought to downplay the Dinesh Trivedi episode, saying it is an internal affair of the government and it could not be discussed outside.
Announcing the resignation of Dinesh Trivedi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said he regretted the departure of the railway minister who had presented a budget which promised the "vision" outlined by his predecessor Mamata Banerjee.
Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi on Thursday came in for sharp criticism from his party the Trinamool Congress with a state minister dubbing him a 'traitor'.
Dinesh Trivedi continued to be Railway Minister on Thursday but only just with the United Progressive Alliance leadership appearing to have buckled under the Trinamool Congress demand to sack him, an action that has been temporarily delayed by the Union Budget to be presented on Friday.
However, he made it clear that he would resign the moment Prime Minister Manmohan Singh or Mamata Banerjee ask him to do.
Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi on Friday ruled out a hike in train fares, saying a move to that effect was not a solution for improving the fiscal health of the country's largest public transporter.
The Trinamool Congress expects the Congress leadership to keep its "word" on removal of Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi even as he asserted that Railways is nobody's fiefdom.
The development comes about a week after Roy said that the work has slowed down especially during the last eight to nine months apparently making a veiled attack on his predecessor, who is also a fellow party leader.
Asserting that Trinamool will not rock the United Progressive Alliance boat, party leader and Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi went into damage control mode on Thursday after his remarks that the country may head for a mid-term poll and the Union government was lame duck created a flutter in political circles.
A trained pilot, Dinesh Trivedi has a challenging task ahead in putting the Railways on track after his boss and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee often came under attack for alleged neglect of this key ministry hit by train accidents in the recent days.
Two months after Dinesh Trivedi was removed as railway minister, his party Trinamool Congress continued to target him for hiking passenger fares and advised his successor Mukul Roy on Thursday to follow the policies of Mamata Banerjee in running the organisation. Trivedi was removed from the railway ministry a few days after he presented the rail budget, in which he hiked passenger fares.
Trinamool Congress sacks minister for raising passenger fares by 8-22%.
The Trinamool Congress, which has asked Railway minister Dinesh Trivedi to quit his post, on Saturday rejected his demand that party supremo Mamata Banerjee should say so in writing to him. "Nothing will be given in writing," Trinamool Congress parliamentary party leader in Lok Sabha Sudip Bandyopadhay told reporters when he was leaving the state secretariat with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, after a meeting which lasted over three hours.
A day after proposing fare hike in the rail budget which has threatened his job, a defiant Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi on Thursday said he would repeat the same if asked to present the budget again.
On a day of dramatic developments, The Trinamool Congress on Wednesday night sought the removal of its senior-most nominee in the Union Cabinet, Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi, hours after he proposed a hike in railway passenger fares, plunging the UPA government in an unusual political crisis.
Aiming to take railways to the next generation, Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi on Thursday said his department has prepared a blue print envisaging Rs 14 lakh crore investment in the next 10 years.
After a five-day waiting game, Railways Minister Dinesh Tiwari has resigned, according to Trinamool Congress sources. Tiwari met with TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, and expressed his willingness to quit.
Soon after he takes oath as Railways minister on Tuesday, Trinamool Congress leader Dinesh Trivedi will be heading to Fatehpur in Uttar Pradesh where a train derailed two days ago, killing 68 people
A decision on the fate of Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi is expected "any moment", Trinamool leader Sudip Bandopadhyay on Friday said.
Observing that freight charges cannot keep subsidising the passenger fare, Trivedi said, "One thing is linked with another and you cannot keep on increasing your freight charges and freight cannot keep on subsidising the fare."
Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi on Wednesday said investigation into the train collision which left nine persons dead would go into all details to ensure such mishaps do not recur, but said it was "too early to blame anybody".
The incident has brought back into focus the controversy that erupted last year when BJP-led governments in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand directed food outlets along the Kanwar route to display the names of their owners and staff.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances