NEW DELHI, Apr 1: In his usual style of attacking the “first family of the Congress” in a monotonous regularity irrespective of the occasion, the prime minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the Indian Railways was the biggest example to show that the previous Congress regime did not pay any attention to the needs of the middle class families in the country.
“In previous governments, they thought only one family is India’s first family and didn’t pay any attention to the needs of the middle-class families of India, Indian railways is the biggest example of this,” Modi said while flagged off the Bhopal-New Delhi Vande Bharat Express train, Madhya Pradesh’s first Vande Bharat Express, at the Rani Kamalapati station.
“Indian rail is the common man’s ride. In the last 9 years, we have been making efforts to make the Indian railway the best in the world,” he said, adding CCTVs have been installed in 900 stations. “Vande Bharat has become a super-hit,” he added.
The train between Bhopal and the national capital, the country’s 11th Vande Bharat Express, will cover 708 km distance in 7.45 hours. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangu Bhai Patel, and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan were in attendance.
The PM said Vande Bharat was a symbol of the new developments in India and there’s a demand for it in every corner of the country. Taking a jibe at rival Congress, the PM said the grand old party will say “Modi will pull an April Fool’s prank” during this event, but the Vande Bharat will be flagged off today.
Onboard the train, the PM interacted with more than 300 schoolchildren who were selected through a drawing and essay competition on the theme ‘Bharatiya Rail’, officials said. The Prime Minister claimed travelling by train has become safer now, and the trains are cleaner and on time. “The new Vande Bharat will bring new employment opportunities and development,” he added.
The indigenously designed train set of Vande Bharat Express is equipped with state-of-the-art passenger amenities. It will provide a faster, more comfortable and more convenient travel experience for rail users.
(Manas Dasgupta)
