“Brazen waste of taxpayers’ money”: Mallikarjun Kharge criticizes the Union Government over the installation of selfie booths at railway stations

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the initiative taken by the Indian railways to set up 3D "selfie points" at railway stations featuring photographs of PM Modi. Kharge labeled this move as a “brazen waste of taxpayers’ money”, he highlighted his concerns about the allocation of public funds for such initiatives.

Taking to social media platform “X”, Kharge asserted that “self-obsessed promotion by the Modi Govt knows no bounds”, furthermore, he sharply criticized their “audacity to generously splurge public money on cheap election stunts.” “Self-obsessed promotion by Modi Govt knows NO bounds! Absolutely brazen waste of taxpayers’ money by installing Modi ji’s 3D selfie points at Railway Stations. Earlier, the blood and sacrifice of our brave soldiers was politically used by ordering the Armed Forces to install 822 such Selfie-points with a prominent cut-out of Modi ji,” posted Kharge. Sharpening his attack on the Union government, Kharge added, “Modi Govt hasn’t provided drought and flood relief to states. MGNREGA funds for opposition ruled states are also pending. But it has the audacity to generously splurge public money on these cheap election stunts!”

This comes after the Central Railways responded to a right-to-information application filed by a Mumbai-based activist and stated that temporary and permanent selfie booths that were set up at certain stations across the county were approved for Rs. 1.25 lakh and Rs. 6.25 lakh respectively.

In September, the railway board in Delhi instructed the general managers of 19 zonal railways to set up selfie booths at stations. Showcasing various central government schemes such as Skill India, Ujjwala Yojana, and the Chandrayaan Mission, these booths were to comprise durable 3D fiber sculptures, acrylic boards, glass, and integrated lighting.