Shiv Sena criticises Narendra Modi's Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project, calls it 'wealthy dream'

Mumbai: Severely criticising the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, ruling NDA ally Shiv Sena on Thursday dismissed it as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “expensive dream” which will “loot the nation of Rs 108,000 crore”. [caption id=“attachment_4042073” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. PTI[/caption] Moreover, the newly-appointed Railway Minister Piyush Goyal — who is also the BJP treasurer — has been specifically brought in only for this project, the Sena said, adding “as part of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s ‘policy of transparency”. The foundation stone of India’s first high-profile high-speed rail project was jointly laid in Ahmedabad on Thursday by Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe. “Japan will bring everything for the project - from nails to rails, manpower to technology and even cement-concrete,… The land and money will come from Gujarat and Maharashtra, and Tokyo will rake in all the profits. But, despite the loot and fraud, all are congratulating Modi’s pet project”, the Shiv Sena said in sharp edits in the party’s mouthpieces “Saamana” and “Dopahar Ka Saamana”. The Sena also pointed out that Mumbai’s overburdened and unsafe suburban rail network was suffering for lack of funds and improvement, many incomplete rail projects languish in the state. “However, bullet trains will now zip between Ahmedabad-Mumbai without anybody even asking for it.” “Bullet Train is not India’s ordinary masses’ dream… It will cater only to the rich-and-wealthy classes for which Goyal has been specially chosen…, and to give something ’new’ to the industrialists of Gujarat where elections are coming up shortly,” the Sena pointed out.