Janata Dal (U) chief Sharad Yadav has said a reshuffle of the Council of Ministers would make no difference as it would not alter the anti-people core of the government. It is like the same person getting into a new attire, he said on Monday. However,he did not join the ally BJP in demanding removal of Home Minister P Chidambaram and Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal. We are studying allegations against them and we would speak after we have reached a conclusion, he said. The JDU chief said,in the context of the recent train accidents,the PM was responsible for having kept the Railways headless after the resignation of Trinamool leader Mamata Banerjee. Once he had known the Trinamool would retain the portfolio,he should have got a person from the same party sworn in as a Cabinet minister, he said. When a reporter pointed out Mamata was focused on Bengal as the Railway Minister,Yadav said,it was indeed so. Referring to the fuel price hike,Yadav demanded a classification of different types of diesel consumers and levying of variable rates from them. Cellular phone companies,hotels,malls and owners of luxury cars did not need any subsidy. He said the money thus saved should be utilised for subsidising the diesel supplied to the farmers. Regarding the treasure trove of Padmanabhaswamy temple,he said the money belonged to people. The wealth,he said,had been stashed in the temple by the rulers of Travancore fearing seizure by the British. This money was collected through taxes from people and therefore belonged to them.
