Arvind Kejriwal not invited for launch of Delhi Metro’s new line, say reports
Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Magenta Line at the Botanical Garden Metro Station in Noida in an event that will be attended by UP Chief Minister Adityanath.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has not been invited for the launch of Delhi Metro’s new line on Monday, an unidentified government spokesperson told IANS. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Magenta Line at the Botanical Garden Metro Station in Noida in an event that will also be attended by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath.
“We have no official intimation of the programme,” said the spokesperson. “Our top most priority is a safe Metro for the passengers and at a reasonable price. So far as the inauguration is concerned, we haven’t received any invitation. The question must better be put to the DMRC [Delhi Metro Rail Corporation] and Urban Development Ministry.”
A DMRC official told PTI that the Uttar Pradesh government was organising the event and it had sent the invitations.
Kejriwal’s government have had many differences with the Centre since September after metro fares were increased. Fares were revised for the second time this year on October 10, which Kejriwal had called an “anti-people” move.
The 12.6-km Kalkaji Mandir-Botanical Garden section of the Magenta Line has nine stations, and will reduce travel time between Noida and South Delhi significantly. Kalkaji Mandir is a station on the Violet Line in South Delhi and Botanical Garden is located on the Blue Line in Noida. When the Magenta Line is completed, it will connect Kalkaji Mandir to Janakpuri in West Delhi.
Botanical Garden will be the first interchange station in the metro network to lie outside Delhi. The corridor is the first for Delhi Metro to use communication-based train control signalling technology that will allow train frequency of 90 to 100 seconds.
The run-up to the inauguration was marred by an incident of a driverless metro train on a trial run crashing through the wall of the Kalindi Kunj depot in South Delhi on Tuesday. The DMRC said the accident occurred because the maintenance team did not check the train’s brakes before the trial run.