MP alleges harassment of his family by railway officials

New Delhi, Apr 27 (UNI) Senior Janata Dal (United) member Prabhunath Singh today complained in the Lok Sabha about the misbehaviour of railway personnel to his family members even as Speaker Somnath Chatterjee and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad assured him that inquiry would be ordered into the April 19 incident on Patna-Delhi Rajdhani Express.

During Zero hour, Mr Singh alleged that his wife and two of his children were fined Rs 10,000, though they were travelling in the train with valid tickets.

As per the entitlement under Lok Sabha rules, his wife was travelling in first class AC compartment while the children were in the two-tier AC compartment.

The children came to the first class coach following a request in this regard from their mother in the wake of the railway personnel harassing her at Allahabad and questioning her travelling in first class. The personnel told her that she was not entitled to travel in first class as per the new rules. They also booked the children saying that they were travelling in the first class, Mr Singh said.

Mr Singh held aloft the photocopies of the tickets of his family members.

He alleged that the railway officials had deliberately humiliated his family members and fined them for no reason, apparently to please Railway Minister Lalu Prasad. The railway officials were aware that there was no good relation between him and Mr Prasad due to political differences.

The Speaker sought to pacify the agitated member saying he had already called for factual note. "I assure you I will take appropriate decision." Railway Minister Lalu Prasad also assured the member that he would inquire into the incident and would punish if any official was found to be guilty.

Mr Prasad said there was no motive behind the action of the railway officials. "How do I know which MPs wife is travelling in which train." He said the railway officials had fined several MPs and and their families in the past also. "In fact, they have once fined my father-in-law and mother-in-law ." At this point, Mr Prabhunath Singh pointed out, "My family was fined when they were travelling on valid ticket. But the case is different with regard to your in-laws who were travelling ticketless." UNI