'Everybody has a say', Piyush Goyal on Rahul Bajaj's remarks

New Delhi, Dec 20 () Countering veteran industrialist Rahul Bajaj's remarks that people are afraid to criticise the government, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday said everybody has a say and the government listens to all.

At an award function earlier this month, Bajaj had remarked that there is an "atmosphere of fear" and people are afraid to criticise the government.

He had said people are afraid of criticising the BJP government's policies and added that no one in the business community would speak about this issue.

However, Goyal, speaking at a conference organised by Assocham, said this is a listening government and it wants to engage more and more to understand what is happening on the ground.

"Whatever Rahul Bhai may say at the ET Awards, the fact is that everybody has a say, everybody has an opportunity to talk and irrespective of who makes your name or who gave you your name, we listen to you.

"It does not matter even if an opposition party leader may have given you your name, for us each one of you are equally valuable and equally important," the minister said.

Addressing the captains of industry, he also emphasised that the government will have to play the role of a facilitator, of an enabler and have to end that harassment that is felt many times at the lower levels of the government.

Goyal, who is also the Union railways minister, said the railways is looking at investment of Rs 50 lakh crore over the next 12 years largely coming out of partnerships, engagements, joint ventures, and collaborations. RSN NKD HRS