Akhilesh slams Centre over reported move to charge railway passengers for extra luggage

New Delhi/Lucknow, Aug 18 (PTI) Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday opposed any move by the Railways to weigh passengers' luggage and charge extra in trains, saying it would be anti-poor and would further burden the common man.

"The BJP has become a heavy burden on the people. A new chapter of corruption is being opened in the name of weighing passengers' luggage. This decision is against the poor," Yadav said in a post on X.

Yadav cited a media report in his post. However there has been no announcement from the Railways on any such measures.

The central lawmaker from Kannauj said the measure would not impact the affluent who travel in the first class air-conditioned compartments but would trouble poor families and migrant workers who travel home once or twice a year with foodgrains and other essentials.

"Does the BJP now want to snatch even the food of poor farmers and labourers? If the government wants to collect money, it should do so from AC-1 and AC-2 passengers, not from those in general, sleeper or AC-3 coaches," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said.

Alleging that corruption has hollowed out the railways under BJP rule, Yadav demanded that ruling party MPs and MLAs give up their free travel passes before burdening ordinary passengers.

"If this decision is not withdrawn, people will cut BJP's return ticket before time," he added, terming the move "shameful" and calling it a reflection of the "double engine government's failure" to protect the interests of the poor. PTI KIS APL APL OZ OZ