On Thursday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressed disappointment over Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw’s statement that allowing Vande Bharat trains to Kerala was not under the consideration of the Central government at the moment, terming it unfortunate. He also requested the Centre to reconsider its stance right away. According to Vijayan, the reply given by the Union minister in Parliament is ‘yet another red flag for Kerala’s railway development dreams.’
Vijayan remarked that it was puzzling why the Railways had suddenly backed away from its promise, given that in the first week of February 2023, the Railway Minister had repeatedly stated that the Vande Bharat Express would soon reach Kerala. He went on to say that this was the latest in a series of efforts to make Kerala irrelevant in the railway map of India.
Vijayan took a swipe at the UDF and BJP for their silence on the minister’s statement, saying, ‘Their silence when the state is being denied the development it deserves is criminal.’ He also emphasized that the lack of adequate travel facilities was a significant problem in the state, causing suffering to the people and hampering many of the state’s developmental projects. Rail development is essential to address this situation.
‘The state government is taking a committed intervention in this regard. Any action that subverts it can only be seen as an anti-people policy. Therefore, the Centre should urgently reconsider its stand on the Vande Bharat issue,’ demanded Vijayan.
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