Goa BJP chief says party unhappy with Piyush Goyal's 'Mini-Portugal' remark

Goa BJP President Sadanand Shet Tanavade on Friday expressed displeasure over Union Minister Piyush Goyal's remarks about Goa turning into a 'mini Portugal.' Union Minister of Railways and Commerce Piyush Goyal while addressing the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) meeting in Mumbai on February 15 had said, "I believe if we were to work together to create a mini-Portugal in Goa, we could truly make it a preferred destination for visitors from around the world."

Addressing the media on Friday, BJP state President Sadanand Shet Tanavade said, that the party did not like what he said but also added that the Union Minister might have erred in the context of the phrase. Tanavade added that Goyal was speaking in terms of development so maybe what he was trying to say was in reference to development. 

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'No politics in railway work'

The NDA government strives for the welfare of 130 crore people in the country and there is no politics in railway works, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said on Tuesday. His comments came at a railway event in response to the remarks of Telangana minister T Srinivas Yadav that railways looked mostly towards the north. "Railways are neglecting South India a lot," Yadav had said, alleging that funds earlier used to go to Bihar and West Bengal when railway ministers hailed from those states.

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In his speech, Goyal said the NDA government worked for the welfare of citizens in the country and spoke at length on the funds allotted to Telangana for railway development works.

"My friend state minister Srinivas Yadav ji commented that railway mostly looks at north India and looks less at the south. Srinivas ji, you probably have no idea of the real situation or you are forgetting that this situation you are mentioning....it was the situation of UPA government. It was not so in Narendra Modi government. I never bring politics in railway works," he said.

"The order of the Hon'ble Prime Minister to all our ministers is that ours is the government of 130 crore people," he said. He said Rs 2,602 crore has been sanctioned towards various developmental projects in Telangana in the current rail budget as against the allocation of Rs 258 crore during 2014-15, which is 10 times higher.

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