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Fiery Mamata reduced to tears
Anita Katyal
Our Political Correspondent

New Delhi, February 18
She is normally full of fire and brimstone and difficult to put down. However, the unthinkable happened today when Trinamool leader and Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee was literally reduced to tears.

Banerjee, it is learnt, was virtually crying after Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee scolded her at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure.

Mukherjee apparently lost his cool when the Railway Minister sought a clearance for 20 rail projects. The Finance Minister, whose temper is legendary, ticked off Banerjee for seeking clearance of such a large number of projects when the budget is in the final stages of preparation. Moreover, he said, where will the Centre cough up the funds for these projects, which require massive investments. Tourism Minister Selja is said to have consoled a distraught Trinamool leader. The Cabinet panel, however, cleared several rail projects, including setting up of a rail complex in West Bengal and two locomotive units in Bihar. The decision was probably driven by political reasons as the Assembly elections are due in both these states.