Cancellation of PM Modi’s Pune visit sparks political row over metro inauguration

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s planned visit to Pune on Thursday canceled just hours before due to heavy rains lashing the city on Wednesday evening and forecasts of more rain, the inauguration of the much-awaited Shivajinagar-Swargate metro stretch has also been canceled, setting off sparks. a political tussle between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).

BJP city unit president Dheeraj Ghate defended the decision to delay the inauguration of the metro stretch saying, “It is our honor that the Prime Minister visits Pune for such events. Modi has a tradition of attending groundbreaking and inauguration ceremonies of key projects. The opposition only knows how to criticize and play politics on such important issues.”

While the MVA led by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress demanded that the metro stretch be opened to the public without further delay. NCP city unit president Prashant Jagtap said, “Metro is for the people. If it’s ready, it should be operational. We will inaugurate it ourselves on Friday if necessary.

Congress city leader Arvind Shinde said, “We will hold protests outside the civil court on Friday, demanding immediate start of operations. »

MVA leaders also criticized the BJP for wasting millions of rupees to arrange the Prime Minister’s visit. Congress MP Ravindra Dhangekar said, “Despite warnings from the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the BJP leaders went ahead and wasted millions of rupees to prepare for the Prime Minister’s tour which has now been canceled due to rains.

Wednesday’s showers, measuring 133 mm in just over three hours, were the highest 24-hour rainfall in September in Pune in the last 100 years and broke the previous record of 132 mm of rain in 1938.

The SP College ground, where the Prime Minister was supposed to address a rally after inaugurating the metro stretch, was heavily waterlogged. Despite the efforts of local authorities, the water could not be drained from the site on Thursday morning.

The state government even considered shifting the event to the Ganesh Kala Krida Auditorium, but the Special Protection Group (SPG) was reluctant. Eventually, the Indian Meteorological Department’s (IMD) forecast of persistent heavy rains prompted the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to cancel his visit.

Following the cancellation, Pune Metro resumed operations on other routes, but the underground section between Civil Court and Swargate remained closed.

Meanwhile, the MVA is planning a campaign to push for the opening of the underground corridor and the BJP has assured that the final decision regarding the start of operations on this route will be taken after consultation with the administration.