"Chup baitho": Ashwini Vaishnaw loses his temper in Lok Sabha
Ashwini Vaishnaw responded after opposition parties questioned if he is a rail minister or a "reel minister."
Arpit Pattnaik
Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, while addressing the Lok Sabha, lost his temper with opposition members, telling them to be quiet and emphasizing that they are hardworking individuals, not just social media influencers.
Vaishnaw's reaction came after the opposition INDIA bloc criticized him for arriving at the accident site on a motorcycle. They questioned whether he was a rail minister or a "reel minister."
He stated that safety measures were neglected during the Congress regime and that the Opposition consistently seeks to politicize the issue.
"Those who are shouting here should be asked why they failed to install Automatic Train Protection (ATP) even for 1 km during their 58 years in power. Today, they have the audacity to raise questions," said the railway minister.
The Union railway minister made a critical remark directed at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, suggesting that individuals who spend time making videos with train drivers have achieved nothing during their time in office. This was in reference to Rahul Gandhi's visit to loco pilots in Delhi on July 7.
During a speech, Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) member Hanuman Beniwal referred to him as a “reel minister” and a “derail minister.”
In response, Vaishnaw sharply told Beniwal to “please sit down (chup baitho)” before addressing the Opposition MPs, stating, “Chup baitho (be quiet). We are not just people who make videos, we are hardworking people.”
Vaishnaw criticized the previous Congress-led UPA regime, pointing out that the annual average number of accidents was 171, which has decreased by 68 percent during the 10 years of the BJP government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Vaishnaw also mentioned that when Mamata Banerjee was railway minister, she reported a decrease in accident numbers from 0.24 to 0.19, and received applause from the House members. However, today, with the figure dropping from 0.19 to 0.03, the government is being blamed. Vaishnaw questioned whether the country can run in this manner.
"He also alleged that the Congress party, with the help of its troll army on social media, has been spreading false claims and attempting to instill fear in the hearts of the two crore people who travel by railways every day."
