Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda Criticizes Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw’s ‘Reel’ Remark

New Delhi, India – Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda condemned the ‘reel’ remark made by Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw in the Lok Sabha, calling it a display of arrogance.

Hooda stated, “The one who is responsible for building railway tracks has not built even an inch of railway track in Haryana and he is talking about reels. We are demanding the railway tracks, three railway tracks are approved but not even a single inch of railway track has been built in the past ten years.”

Earlier, Railway Minister Vaishnaw said, “We don’t make reels, we do hard work unlike you people who make reels to show off.” He added that the Narendra Modi government has improved the working conditions of loco pilots by bringing amendments in 2016. “The average working and rest times of Loco pilots are decided by a rule that was formulated in 2005. In 2016, the rules were amended and Loco pilots were given more facilities. All the running rooms – 558 were made air-conditioned. Loco cabs vibrate much, heated up and hence more than 7,000 loco cabs are air-conditioned. It was zero in the time of those people who today show sympathy by making reels,” the minister said.

The Union Minister was referring to a July 9 post by the Congress where they had posted a video of LoP Rahul Gandhi interacting with Loco-Pilots claiming that the Pilots’ lives were in pathetic condition. The Congress post stated, “The Loco Pilots of our country are taking responsibility for the travel and lives of crores of Indians in very pathetic conditions. They are neither getting adequate comfort nor any basic facility inside the engine. For the safety of Indian Railways as well as crores of passengers, change in their lives is necessary.”