'Dono Hath Mai Laddu': PM Modi taunts Rajasthan CM Gehlot during Vande Bharat launch
He added that the appointment of a railway minister was politically motivated, and as a result, trains that were announced never came to fruition. Corruption and lack of transparency in the selection process also hindered the development of railways.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday took a swipe at Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot at the flagging off ceremony of Rajasthan’s first Vande Bharat Express as he alluded to his ongoing friction with his former deputy Sachin Pilot. PM Modi taunts Gehlot, saying Rajasthan CM has laddoos in both his hands despite the political upheaval in Rajasthan.
At the launch, PM Modi said that it was only after 2014 that the revolutionary transformation started taking place as “political interests had dominated the modernization of Railways post Independence".
“The decision to appoint a railway minister was also politically motivated. It was due to this political interest that trains that were announced never chugged off. The selfish and mean politics had always overshadowed the modernisation of the Railways. The large-scale corruption did neither let the development happen in Railways nor did it let even the Railways’ selection process to be transparent," the prime minister said, adding that lands were taken in exchange for jobs.
PM Narendra Modi also had his share of laughter while thanking Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot. “I especially want to express my gratitude to Gehlot ji. He has been going through a lot of trouble due to political turbulence in his state. Despite that, he took out time for development work and came for the launch. I welcome and appreciate this effort," he said.
“Gehlot ji, aapke toh do-do haath mein laddoo hain (Gehlot, you’ve got sweets in both your hands). Your Railway Minister is from Rajasthan. And Railway Board’s chairman is also from Rajasthan. Hence, you have double advantage. And secondly, the work that should have been done immediately after Independence, couldn’t be done till now. But you trust me to such an extent that you brought even those tasks to me. Your trust in me is the strength of our friendship. And as a friend, I thank you for having this trust to me," PM Modi added.
This Vande Bharat will operate commercially between Delhi and Ajmer, but for its inaugural run, the train will travel between Jaipur and Delhi. The high-speed train has a total of 16 coaches, with a seating capacity of over 1,128 passengers.
The newly launched VB train is the world's first semi-high-speed passenger train to operate on high rise overhead electric (OHE) territory.
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