Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Derek O'Brien on Monday launched a scathing attack on the Centre over the handling of the railway budget, saying he did not know "whether to be angry, sad or feel like I am in a circus."

O'Brien alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Railway Minister participated in a discussion on the Ministry of Railways, but at the end of it, moved to pass the Railway Budget unilaterally.

"This actually happened. My colleagues and I wanted to speak and wanted this to be corrected. PM Modi and a team of ministers can come to TMC, and we will give them tutorials on the rules of Parliament," he said.

TMC MP Satabdi Roy raised concerns over railway safety, saying no amount of compensation could bring back lives lost in accidents. She also criticised the imposition of cancellation charges, calling it "torture" for passengers.

TMC’s Kalyan Banerjee echoed these concerns, citing a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on poor hygiene and declining food quality in trains. He also flagged a severe manpower shortage, noting that 20,000 posts of loco pilots and assistant loco pilots remained vacant.

The remarks came amid fierce opposition criticism in the Lok Sabha over the Demands for Grants under the Ministry of Railways for 2025-26.

Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad dismissed the railway budget as a "failed" measure, alleging that the national transporter was in a financial crisis and "on a ventilator."

She said the government's claims of record-breaking investments were misleading and accused it of pushing a false narrative that railway development began only after 2014.

Gaikwad further alleged that falling revenues and social media gimmicks such as Instagram reels would not fix the problems plaguing the Railways.

She also took a swipe at the government, suggesting that the national carrier might eventually be handed over to "friends" of the ruling dispensation.

Samajwadi Party MP Lalji Verma accused the Centre of neglecting railway facilities, pointing out that the budget allocation for passenger services had not increased. He said station infrastructure and train punctuality needed urgent attention.

CPIM MP Sachithanantham R demanded more funds for the KAVACH safety system, asserting that passenger security must take precedence over political optics.

The opposition’s blistering attack comes amid a string of railway accidents and growing concerns over service quality, even as the government maintains that its modernisation push is transforming Indian Railways.

(With inputs from PTI)