At Vande Bharat event, PM Modi’s dig at Ashok Gehlot over Sachin Pilot’s protest
PM Modi also rued that an important and basic need of the citizens such as railways was turned into an arena of politics in the past
JAIPUR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday flagged off Rajasthan’s first Vande Bharat Express train via video conferencing from New Delhi in presence of Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot.
The inaugural train will run between Jaipur and Delhi Cantt Railway Station. The regular service will start from April 13 and will operate between Ajmer and Delhi Cantt with stops at Jaipur, Alwar and Gurgaon.
In his speech, PM Modi called chief minister Ashok Gehlot a “friend” and thanked him for attending the launch of a Vande Bharat Express amid a “political tussle” in the state, an oblique reference to the party colleague Sachin Pilot’s protest.
“I express my special gratitude to Gehlot ji. During these days of a political tussle when he is going through several crises, he took out the time for development work and participated in a railway programme. I welcome him,” Modi said.
On Tuesday, senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot observed a day-long fast in Jaipur, targeting the Gehlot government over “inaction” in alleged cases of corruption when the BJP ran the state.
In his address at the launch event, Gehlot raised demands related to the railways in Rajasthan and mentioned that for the first time since independence, the Union railway minister is from the state.
PM Modi responded later with a swipe at the Congress. “The work that should have been done immediately after independence had not been done till now. But you have so much faith in me that you have given me that task today… I thank you for the trust you have in this friendship,” he added.
Referring to the railway minister and the chairman of the Railway Board both being from Rajasthan, the prime minister said, “And I want to say Gehlot ji that you have laddoos in both your hands... the railway minister is from Rajasthan and the chairman of the Railway Board is also from Rajasthan.”
He also said that the state’s first Vande Bharat train will not only ease the travel between Jaipur and Delhi but also give a push to the tourism industry of Rajasthan as it will help improve access to places of faith such as Pushkar and Ajmer Sharif.
The new Vande Bharat Express will cover the distance between Delhi Cantt. and Ajmer in 5.15 hours. The fastest train on the same route, Shatabdi Express, takes 6.15 hours from Delhi Cantt to Ajmer.
PM Modi also rued that an important and basic need of the citizens such as railways was turned into an arena of politics in the past. He said India inherited a fairly big railway network at the time of Independence but political interest dominated the need for modernization in the years after independence.
He said politics was evident in the selection of railway ministers, the announcement of trains and even recruitments. “Land acquisition was done under the false pretence of railway jobs and many unmanned crossings continued for a very long time and cleanliness and safety took a back seat. The situation took a turn for the better after 2014 when people elected a stable government with full majority,” PM Modi said, a reference to the ongoing investigations by the Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate into a land-for-jobs case when Lalu Prasad Yadav was the rail minister
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot later said PM Modi’s remark about the railways as unfortunate. It was not fair to say the development of the national transporter happened only after 2014, he said, according to news agency PTI.
“Today, your speech was given completely keeping in view the 2023-24 assembly and Lok Sabha elections and it was in the form of the election agenda of the Bharatiya Janata Party. I believe that such comments will not be acceptable to the people of the state and the country,” the CM said.
