Mumbai: Pomp, drama and circumstance were in abundant evidence at the flagging-off ceremony for the ‘Modi Express’ special train at Dadar Terminus that was supposed to ferry 1,800 passengers to Sawantwadi, Konkan, on Tuesday, for Ganeshotsav. Union Minister of State for Railways Raosaheb Patil Danve, who was doing the honours, chose to board the locomotive and his partymen followed their leader, causing chaos.
The special train was booked at full tariff rate (FTR) through the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation from Dadar station and was scheduled to depart at 11.40am but in the time-honoured tradition of being ‘fashionably late’, it reportedly departed at 11.50am or so. According to those in the know, all the action took place in these 10 minutes.
Sources said, at first, BJP party workers climbed up the steps of the locomotive and waved the party flag. There were two locomotives attached to this special train. After Danve arrived, he was handed the green flag to wave at the loco pilot, to indicate that the train could set off.
(Pics: Sachin Haralkar)
(Pics: Sachin Haralkar)
(Pics: Sachin Haralkar)
But much to the surprise of the railway officials, Danve too climbed the steps of the locomotive and stood there, being joined by other party leaders. When he waved the green flag, the train chugged out of the platform, with the distinguished entourage in tow, only to slow down and stop further ahead on the tracks. Later, railway authorities were seen asking the dignitaries and mediapersons who were on the locomotive, to climb down safely. Once everyone had climbed down, the train left, 10 minutes later. The ministerial entourage then ‘backtracked’ it to the platform at Dadar.
The BJP party leaders said that the Modi Express was ferrying around 1,800 people to the as far as Sawantwadi, for the Ganesh festival. For the ceremony, Danve had travelled on a local train where he interacted with passengers and inspected amenities provided at the railway stations and in trains.
He had boarded a Kurla local from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) around 11am and later alighted at Dadar station. In the 20 to 25-minute-long journey, he interacted with passengers and mediapersons. Later in the day, he was scheduled to travel, again by local train to Thane, to inspect passenger facilities, officials said, but this plan was cancelled. Danve travelled to Matunga by train and felicitated the all-woman staff at the station. At CSMT, he inspected the premises, where, as has been reported by the FPJ, there are redevelopment plans in the offing.
