Congress activists protesting outside Railway Minister Sadananda Gowda's home
After Railways Minister Sadananda Gowda presented his budget in Parliament today, Congress workers vandalized his home, pulling down his name plate from the gate and standing on it. They also tried to block the minister's car from entering his residence. (
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The budget presented by Mr Gowda for the first time seeks foreign direct investment (FDI) as well as public-private partnerships in all areas except for passenger operations. The Congress has pilloried it as pro-rich.
Union minister Piyush Goyal described the Congress as an "immature opposition."
"We must protest peacefully, removing the nameplate of the Railways Minister and stopping his car is wrong. I instantly scolded my workers," said Arvinder Singh Lovely, a senior Congress leader.
The Rail Finance Bill is regarded by economists as setting the stage for the national budget - due on Thursday - in which the right-wing government will lay out keenly-awaited reform plans.
The crumbling railways need an "immediate course correction" after years of mismanagement, Mr Gowda told Parliament as he outlined ambitious plans for the network that carries 23 million people daily.