Modi, Abe launch India’s 1st bullet train project; 15 pacts to widen ties
Pak role in terror strongly indicted More defence, trade links
I believe this new railway philosophy will be the lifeline to a new India — Narendra Modi, PM The BJP would target me for launching projects form Safai but are they not doing the same from Gujarat? Is this not what they accused us of doing?
— Akhilesh Yadav, UP ex-CM
We are getting a bullet train without asking for it. We do not know exactly which problem will this problem solve
— Saamana, Shiv Sena mouthpiece It is only timed with the Gujarat elections (later this year) in mind...This is nothing but a
chunavi bullet train
— Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress leader
Launching the ambitious `1.10 lakh crore project for India’s first bullet train between Ahmedabad and Mumbai that will run at a maximum speed of 350 kmph covering the 508-km stretch in under three hours, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese PM Shinzo Abe later held wide-ranging talks after which the two nations signed 15 agreements to further broadbase their strategic partnership, including defence and trade ties and civil nuclear energy cooperation. Strongly pitching for a “zero- tolerance” approach towards terrorism, India and Japan also agreed to strengthen cooperation against terror groups like Al Qaeda and Pakistan-based Jaish-eMohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT), and most importantly, named Pakistan, with the joint statement saying: “The two Prime Ministers also called for Pakistan to bring to justice the perpetrators of terrorist attacks, including those of the November 2008 terrorist attack in Mumbai and the 2016 terrorist attack in Pathankot.” In the backdrop of China flexing its muscles both against India and Japan, the “importance of freedom of navigation was emphasised”, while the two countries resolved to deepen cooperation in the IndoPacific area. The North Korean nuclear programme that threatens Japan too was also condemned by both countries.
Apart from joint military exercises, “future research collaboration in the area of Unmanned Ground Vehicles and Robotics” is also proposed, while “Japan’s readiness to provide its state-of-the-art US-2 amphibian aircraft was appreciated”. A working group is also expected to be set up to boost civil nuclear energy cooperation.
Prime Minister Modi described the bullet train project, which is expected to be completed by 2022 and will cut travel time between the two cities from seven hours to less than three, as a “big gift from Japan to India”.
Addressing crowds gathered at the Athletics Stadium in Sabarmati for the event, Japanese PM Shinzo Abe said the IndoJapan partnership was special, strategic and global. “A strong India is in Japan’s interest and a strong Japan is in India’s interest,” Mr Abe said after the two leaders pressed a button, unveiling a plaque. “My good friend Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a farsighted leader. He took a decision two years ago to
Mumbai, Sept. 14: Slamming the bullet train project, NDA ally Shiv Sena on Thursday said the project was not a dream of the common man but that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Sena, in an editorial in its mouthpiece “Saamana”, sought to know if the AhmedabadMumbai high speed train project really fits into the needs of the country.
The criticism came on a day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe laid the foundation stone of India’s first bullet train project in Ahmedabad.
“We are getting a bullet train without asking for it. We do not know exactly which problem will this problem solve,” the Sena said.
“(Former Prime Minister) Pandit (Jawaharlal) Nehru laid the foundation of several projects, from Bhakra Nangal to Bhaba Atomic Research Centre, to ensure the country advances in technology and science. All these projects were needed for the nation. Does this bullet train fit into the needs of the country?” the ally asked. Out of the estimated `1,08,000 crore cost of the project, at least `30,000 crore would have to be shelled out by the Maharashtra government, it said.