Thiruvananthapuram: With the Central Government allocating the Vande Bharat semi-high-speed train to Kerala, actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi has come out mocking the SilverlLine Project of the State Government
The yellow stones that hit the chest of the people have been blown to smithereens with the arrival of the Vande Bharat train, the former BJP Rajya Sabha MP hit out. “That is the glory of the Vande Bharat Express,” the actor said in Sasthamangalam in Thiruvananthapuram, adding the Prime Minister will speak out the rest.
Yellow survey stones were earlier laid for the SilverlLine semi-high-speed railway project by the Revenue Department. The stone-laying provoked public who were set to lose property for the proposed railway corridor. Intense protests were held across the State and police resorted to stern action to rein in the protestors.
BJP leader and Railway Passenger Amenities Committee chairman P K Krishnadas too taunted CPM state secretary M V Govindan, saying the latter can also feel happy over the Central Government sanctioning Vande Bharat train for the state. Krishnadas’ sarcastic statement targeting Govindan was that now a person can board a train with ‘appam’ from Shoranur and sell it at Thiruvananthapuram and return home fast.
Earlier, while extolling the virtues of the Silverline project, Govindan narrated an ‘appam’ story which later became viral. Govindan had said that if SilverlLine was implemented, Kudumbasree members could board the train from Shoranur with appam in two big baskets at 9 am and sell all of them in Thiruvananthapuram and board a train back at 12 noon to reach Shoranur at 1.30 pm and have lunch at home. Krishnadas’ jibe was in retort to this statement.
Chief Minister Pinararyi Vijayan, who wished to bring Silver Line by spending Rs 2 lakh crore from the exchequer for the people of the state to travel fast, can also be happy, Krishnadas said. After all, the people of Kerala could now travel fast on Vande Bharat Express by spending a nominal amount, he added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off Kerala’s first semi-high-speed train, the Thiruvananthapuram-Kozhikode Vande Bharat Express, on April 25 in the state capital. The 16-coach train is expected to cover the 501-km distance in just seven-and-a-half hours. It will have only a single halt in a district. The timetable is yet to be announced.
