PM Modi takes swipe at Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot during the launch of Vande Bharat Express

New Delhi (India), April 12, 2023: Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a jibe at Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot at the flagging-off ceremony of Rajasthan’s first Vande Bharat Express.

In a veiled reference to Gehlot’s ongoing friction with former deputy Sachin Pilot, Modi thanked him for taking the time to participate in the launch despite going through “political crisis and several troubles.”

The new Vande Bharat Express is expected to improve connectivity to major tourist destinations in Rajasthan, including Pushkar and Ajmer Sharif Dargah. The train will run between Ajmer and Delhi Cantonment railway stations, with stops at Jaipur, Alwar, and Gurgaon.

The regular service will begin on April 13. The government statement claimed that the new train will be faster by 60 minutes compared to the present fastest train running on the same route.

During the ceremony, PM Modi lamented the fact that railways had become an arena of politics in India and that political interest had dominated the need for modernization in the years after independence.

He also noted that the railway budget for Rajasthan has been increased 14 times since 2014, from Rs 700 crore to more than Rs 9,500 crore this year.