Chandigarh: Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) on Wednesday slammed Congress-led UPA government for announcing a "steep" hike in rail fares, which would put additional financial burden on "hapless" consumers.
The party demanded a rollback while terming the increase in fares as "steep" and an "anti-people" move.
The decision would transfer additional monetary burden on "hapless" passengers, he said.
"The common voters will be ruing the day when they elected UPA government because under UPA regime, essential items have gone out of their reach," SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal alleged in a statement here.
"By raising price of diesel, cooking gas and now rail fare, UPA government has shown its real face to voters," he accused.
Badal, who is also Punjab`s Deputy Chief Minister, alleged, "governments cannot be run by agenda of World Bank and IMF because people elect a government to come out with people-friendly welfare schemes rather than making essential items our of their reach."
He also took a dig at the Centre`s ambitious scheme of Direct Benefit Transfer, claiming it would be beneficial for a very small part of the country`s population.
He criticised Punjab Pradesh Congress chief Amarinder Singh for allegedly not making any statement on issues concerning common people like the rail fare hike.
PTI
