Thiruvananthapuram (Keralam) [India], August 24 (ANI): Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Monday criticised the Railway's decision to bifurcate the Palakkad Railway Division, calling it an "unfortunate" move taken without consultation with the Keralam government or MPs from the state.
Speaking to reporters here, Tharoor said, "This is a particularly unfortunate decision because it was made without any consultation with the Keralam government or Keralam MPs, and that was really extremely difficult for us to accept. If they had explained their logic, we would have at least had a chance to discuss it and decide. Instead, we've been confronted with what is called a fatal conflict."
He said the bifurcation would affect the Palakkad division's revenue, adding, "1st of October, this entire thing changes. Palakkad division loses 1,100 crore rupees in revenue."
Questioning the rationale behind separating Mangaluru from the Palakkad division, Tharoor said, "Now, their logic is that Mangaluru is in Karnataka and therefore it should be separated from Kerala. Then why don't they give us what we've been asking for for 15 years, which is a Kerala Railway Zone? Why should the logic only apply for Karnataka and not for Kerala?"
"Give us a Kerala Railway Zone and tell the nation that every state will have its own railway zone, but don't change the logic. I think the protest is completely justified," he added.
Tharoor further said that although he would not be able to be present in Palakkad due to other reasons, he supported the protest by his party colleagues.
"Even though I, for other reasons, cannot be in Palakkad right now, I'm morally and politically very much with my colleagues who will be protesting in Palakkad and going on dharna on this matter," he said.
The Railway Board has decided to bifurcate the Palakkad Railway Division by removing the Mangaluru region and transferring its stations to the Mysuru Division under South Western Railway, with the change set to come into effect from October 1, 2026. The move, taken without wider consultation, has led to strong political opposition in Keralam, with concerns over significant revenue losses and administrative impact.
Further on the occasion of Onam, Tharoor also drew parallels between the festival's message and politics, saying public service should focus on equality and shared prosperity.
"The spirit of Onam is very much the same as the spirit of politics. Why does Mahabali come back every year? He comes back to see that everyone is all right, that everyone's being treated equally, and that prosperity is being shared by everyone. That is something that is also the objective of politics," Tharoor said.
"So my service, the public service of all of us in politics, has to be to ensure the same thing that everybody is treated equally," he added. (ANI)
"Unfortunate decision made without consultation with state": Shashi Tharoor on Palakkad Railway Division bifurcation
