Maharashtra BJP leaders credit PM’s ‘mantra of vikas’ for ‘grand’ train

Mumbai: BJP leaders on Monday attributed the inaugural run of the city's first air-conditioned local to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's “visionary mantra of vikas (progress)” and called it "vikas in the true sense". Senior BJP leader and state education minister Vinod Tawde said, "This is vikas in the true sense which is now underway, and we are travelling in this grand train. It is a result of PM Modi's vision which lays emphasis on speedy execution of mass transportation projects. It is a dream come true for Mumbaikars," he said.

Mr Tawde was present on the occasion of flagging off the train's maiden run along with other BJP leaders including MPs Kirit Somaiya and Gopal Shetty, Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar, and MLC Praveen Darekar. Mr Shelar termed it a "historic" development and credited it to the PM's governance mantra of putting commuters' comfort first. "This train is a bonanza for travellers and we hope such trains play a crucial role in minimising the number of cars on roads and solving traffic problems," he said. Mr Somaiya too said that the day would go down in history and that the credit went to PM Modi for getting the train on track after a ten-year-long wait. "In the coming 10 years, all rakes on the suburban system will have at least one air-conditioned coach," he said. However Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant sidestepped all such claims and said that the credit went to railway officials. "The credit goes to railway officers and I have already congratulated them on Sunday. Earlier, we stood like a pillar behind the BJP government, but they forget sometimes."

BJP supporters and passengers present on the occasion shouted slogans of "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" with many attributing choice of date to former PM and Bharat Ratna awardee Atal Bihari Vajpayee who celebrated his 93rd birthday on Monday.