The Congress on Tuesday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s planned visit to Bengaluru to launch the KR Puram-Whitefield line, calling it a “discontinuous, disjointed and disconnected” project. The 13.71-km Metro line is expected to be inaugurated by the PM on March 25.
The inauguration of the metro line, which will consist of 12 stations, comes ahead of the Karnataka Assembly election which is scheduled in May this year.
Calling the PM a “quack doctor” of “inaugurating half-baked projects”, Congress
In a statement on March 21, he said that the projects inaugurated by the PM in the southern state remain incomplete, such as the Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway and Shivamogga airport; the construction of the metro line from the Baiyappanahalli to KR Puram metro stations has not been completed.
“The ‘quackery of inaugurating half-baked projects continues’. On 25th March, 2023, PM Modi will inaugurate a metro line from “nowhere to nowhere”. Once again it is a discontinuous, disjointed and disconnected metro line which will cause more problems to Bengalureans than it will solve. The only yield will be a media event of the Prime Minister riding a standalone metro that is disconnected from the existing metro line. It will gravely endanger public safety,” Surjewala wrote in a statement.
Speaking about the metro line, Surjewala had underscored eight “facts” about it, adding that although there were defects detected, still the operation is permitted.
He said, “On 27 February, 2023, the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety pointed out 58 major and minor deficiencies and incomplete infrastructure on the Metro Line between KR Puram to Whitefield. Strangely and intriguingly, despite these 58 defects and without a fresh safety audit, rechecking and reverification, this Metro Line operation is being permitted.”
The Congress leader also hit out at the BJP
“Are Modi-Bommai governments putting “poll publicity” over the lives of Bengalureans and public safety, especially when metro construction in Bangalore has already claimed 38 precious lives?” he said.