Prime Minister Narendra Modi's attack on his political opponents while launching a new train service in election-bound Rajasthan on Wednesday earned censure from the state's Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who called it out as "unfortunate".
Saying that his comments were made with an eye on the coming assembly and general elections, Mr Gehlot said it was not fair to say the development of the railways happened only after 2014 when PM Modi took office.
"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 Rajasthan Chief Minister said.
He said in a statement it was "unfortunate" that the Prime Minister appeared to label all decisions taken during the tenure of earlier railway ministers as being influenced by corruption and political considerations.
Launching the first Vande Bharat train from Rajasthan earlier in the day, PM Modi said the railways had become an arena of politics under previous governments and political considerations affected its modernisation.
"It is our country's misfortune that an important system like the railways, which is such a big part of the lives of common people, was turned into an arena of politics," he said, adding "things changed" after the BJP came to power in 2014.
PM Modi launched the Vande Bharat Express train, which will connect Ajmer with Delhi Cantonment, via video conferencing during a programme organised at the Jaipur railway station. Mr Gehlot attended the programme.
At the event, before the Prime Minister spoke, Mr Gehlot said the train was a "big gift" for Rajasthan.
Later, responding to the Prime Minister's political comments at the government event, the Chief Minister accused PM Modi's government of reducing the importance of railways by scrapping the separate railway budget.
Mr Gehlot said modern trains such as the Vande Bharat were now possible because of PM Modi's predecessor Manmohan Singh, who as the Finance Minister led India's economic liberalisation in 1991.
"Technological advancements have taken place all over the world over time, due to which new technology has also come in India and there have been improvements in the railways," he said, also mentioning former railway ministers in his statement such as Lal Bahadur Shastri and Jagjivan Ram.
The Vande Bharat is Rajasthan's first semi-high-speed train, which will reduce the travel time between Ajmer and Delhi. Its regular service will start on Thursday and will have stops in Jaipur, Alwar and Gurugram.
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