New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday referred to Congress’ Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot as a friend and welcomed him for attending the launch event of the state’s first Vande Bharat Express.
Modi alluded to the political turmoil Gehlot was going through – read the renewed rebellion by colleague Sachin Pilot – and congratulated him for still making time for “development”, by attending the train inauguration.
“Gehlotji, aapkey dono haath mein laddoo hai (roughly translated as: Gehlotji, you have the best of both worlds),” Modi said, telling the Opposition chief minister that both the Railways minister and the Railway board chairman were from Rajasthan.
He added, “The work which should have been done immediately after independence has not been done till now. But you (Gehlot) have so much faith in me that you have put that work before me today. This is your belief, your faith in the strength of my friendship. I thank you for the trust you have put in this friendship.”
The prime minister virtually flagged off the Vande Bharat train from Ajmer to Delhi Cantt from the Jaipur junction railway station Wednesday.
The regular service of this train will start Thursday and it will operate between Ajmer and Delhi Cantt, with stops in Jaipur, Alwar and Gurgaon.
While inaugurating the high-speed train – his sixth in the last two months – Modi said, “Vande Bharat Express enriches the spirit of ‘India First, Always First’. I am happy that the Vande Bharat train has become synonymous with development, modernity, self-reliance and stability. Vande Bharat’s journey today will lead to the journey of developed India tomorrow.”
He also said that transformation of the Railways took place only after 2014 as political interests had dominated its modernisation post-Independence.
Modi said the decision to appoint a railway minister was also politically motivated. “It was due to this political interest that trains which were announced did not run. Selfish and mean politics always overshadowed the modernisation of Railways. The large-scale corruption stalled development and also did not allow the Railways’ selection process to be transparent,” the Prime Minister said, adding that Railways land was taken in exchange for jobs.
The 16-coach train launched Wednesday has a seating capacity of 1,128 people and is expected to reduce the travel time from Jaipur to Delhi by 70 minutes.
Also read: Vande Bharat Express is changing Indian Railways. Now Indians need to do their bit