Mean politics: PM Modi jabs Oppn at Rajasthan Vande Bharat launch

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on Opposition, saying that selfish and mean politics had always overshadowed the modernisation of the Indian Railways in the past.

The prime minister further said that selfish and mean politics had always overshadowed the modernisation of the railways in the past.

"Unfortunately, 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 be transparent," he said at the launch of Rajasthan's first Vande Bharat Express, via video conferencing.

"Who would become the railway minister was decided by looking at the political interest. It was the political interest that such trains were announced which never actually ran. The situation was such that after snatching the land of the poor, they were given a job in the railways. Railway safety...cleanliness everything was ignored. Changes in all these arrangements started coming after the year 2014," stated the Prime Minister.

PM Modi's statement comes against the backdrop of central agencies probing the land-for-jobs case involving Rashtriya Janata Dal chief and former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family members.

In the last two months, the Prime Minister recalled getting the opportunity to flag off six Vande Bharat trains in the country including the Delhi-Jaipur Vande Bharat Express and gave the example of Mumbai-Solapur Vande Bharat Express, Mumbai-Shiridi Vande Bharat Express, Rani Kamlapati-Hazrat Nizammuddin Vande Bharat Express, Secunderabad-Tirupati Vande Bharat Express and Chennai Coimbatore Vande Bharat Express.

The Prime Minister pointed out that approximately 60 lakh citizens have traveled in the Vande Bharat Express since its inception.

"The speed of Vande Bharat is its main speciality and it is saving the time of people", the Prime Minister said.

According to a study, the Prime Minister noted that those who travel by Vande Bharat express save 2500 hours on every trip.

Reiterating that the citizens have highly appreciated the Vande Bharat Express, the Prime Minister said that the Express train is the first semi automatic train to be developed in India and one of world's first compact and efficient trains.

"Vande Bharat is the first train to be compatible with the indigenous safety Kavach system", PM Modi said.

"The Vande Bharat Express realizes the spirit of ' 'India First Always First'", he said. The Prime Minister expressed delight that the Vande Bharat Express has become synonymous with development, modernity, stability and 'Atmanirbharta'.

The regular service of this new Vande Bharat train will start from April 13 and will operate between Ajmer and Delhi Cantonment with stops in Jaipur, Alwar and Gurgugram.

It will cover the distance between Delhi Cantonment and Ajmer in five hours and 15 minutes.

The Ajmer-Delhi Cantonment Vande Bharat Express will be the world's first semi high speed passenger train on high rise overhead electric (OHE) territory.