National   

“Lalu brought about magical turnaround”

KOLKATA: External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee was all praise for Railway Minister Lalu Prasad here on Monday.

Speaking at the flag-off ceremony of the Maitree Express to Bangladesh, Mr. Mukherjee described Mr. Prasad as “the brightest politician” in the United Progressive Alliance. “His magic is to be saluted by hundreds of thousands for turning things around and taking the Railways into a position where it is making profits.”

“I have, over the course of four decades, come close to many political leaders but here is a person hailing from a village in Bihar who is giving a new dimension to management,” and which could be looked up to as a “model,” Mr. Mukherjee said.

Mr. Prasad had ensured better consumer service and punctuality and made the largest government organisation profitable, he added.

Responding to a request from Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi, Mr. Mukherjee said he would take the initiative to observe both the birth and death anniversaries of Rabindranath Tagore on board the Maitree Express.

Mr. Dasmunsi had referred to the poet as “the biggest bridge” between India and Bangladesh.

Mr. Mukherjee said Tagore had the rare distinction of being the composer of what were adopted later as the national anthems of both India and Bangladesh.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi expressed concern over the plight of Bangladeshis detained in correctional homes in the State.

He said: “This is a propitious moment to set in place a stable mechanism by which all these persons find the aim in their lives.” “Let the Maitree Express become a Mukti Express for these people,” Mr. Gandhi said.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

“Give credit to Ambedkar for securing Dalit rights”
Draw positive lessons from Nepal: Yechury
Mayawati unveils her own statue
“Lalu brought about magical turnaround”
Deal for U.S. recce planes in the offing
Hearing today on SLP against Singur acquisition
“Why not Rahul as PM?”
Fervour marks Ram Navmi celebrations
Bihar not checking Maoists : Lalu
Dissidents attack BJP office in Bihar
Grenade neutralised in Pulwama district
Crawler colours
Dalits protest against wall of separation
Officers seek review by GoM
Reconsider exclusion of creamy layer, Karunanidhi writes to PM
Retired Generals to join rally
Parliament’s tribute

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu