Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav has hinted at a people friendly railway budget, which will be presented on Feb 26.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Singh said that Ram Jethmalani was a maverick with a difference.
Taking part in a debate on the motion of confidence moved by the new 'mahagathbandhan' government, Yadav accused the BJP of having tried to 'break' Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's party in a bid to 'wipe out socialist ideology'.
The Re 1 cut in diesel prices could lead Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav to announce a reduction in passenger fares in the forthcoming Railway Budget.
The demand comes in the backdrop of the UPA government granting a special Rs 3,225 crore package to Bihar, ruled by key UPA constituent Rashtriya Janata Dal, in the Union Budget 2004-05 ahead of the assembly elections in the state.
Kushwaha made the exasperated remark in reply to queries from journalists about Singh's relentless, and often personal, attacks on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Chandra Shekhar's uncharitable remarks about Ramcharitmanas which triggered a controversy.
Searches are being conducted on Friday at 12 locations including Delhi, Patna, Ranchi, Puri and Gurgaon.
The minister said he was against "blanket privatisation of the railway system but the private sector was being encouraged to participate with the railways in the development of its non-core activities."
Highlights of the Railway Budget 2004-2005 presented by the Union Minister of Railways Lalu Prasad Yadav in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
Pundir, who was overseeing the Srinagar-Jammu rail project, and his younger brother were kidnapped and killed by suspected Lashkar-e-Tayiba militants last week.
