Sena takes part in Oppn rally against bullet train project

MUMBAI:THE Shiv Sena, an ally of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Maharashtra, attended a rally with Opposition leaders against the government’s proposed bullet train project in the state.

The Sena’s decision to join leaders from the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Communist Party of India (Maoist) at the protest in Palghar comes after weeks of a high-pitched battle with its ally for over an assembly seat in the district.

While the Sena — which fielded its own candidate — lost the election to the BJP, it appears to be firm about not allying with it for the 2019 general elections.

While party president Uddhav Thackeray was not at the rally, the Sena sent its spokesperson, Neelam Gorhe. “It was Uddhavsaheb who had already declared his opposition to this project when a delegation of villagers had called him on May 18,” Gorhe said at the rally, and added that the Sena president had been steadfast in his opposition to the bullet train project. “Instead of spending money on such money-guzzling projects, it makes sense to invest in the existing railways lines which would help the journey of local commuters make more comfortable,” she said.

While senior Congress leader and former Union minister of environment and forests, Jairam Ramesh, was also scheduled to attend the rally, he later asked a local Congress leader to represent the party.

Gorhe also said the residents of the 73 villages in Palghar that will be affected by the project were not taken into confidence by the National High Speed Rail Corporation before it went ahead with the ₹1.10 lakh crore project.

The corporation will buy around 1,400 hectares for the project, and thousands of tribal people will lose their livelihood, Gorhe said.

Instead of spending money on such moneyguzzling projects, it makes sense to invest in the existing railways lines which would help the journey of local commuters make more comfortable. NEELAM GORHE, Shiv Sena spokesperson