PM Modi to inaugurate Meerut Metro, Namo Bharat train
Meerut (UP) (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the Namo Bharat train and Meerut Metro services here on Sunday and address a public meeting, officials said.
Ahead of the inauguration, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said Prime Minister Modi will accelerate the development journey of 'New Uttar Pradesh' by flagging off the Meerut Metro and Namo Bharat train in Meerut.
"He will also gift various development and public welfare projects worth approximately Rs 12,930 crore to Meerut, which is witnessing modern connectivity," Adityanath said in a post.
"A golden chapter is going to be added today in the development journey of 'New Uttar Pradesh', he said.
"The prime minister will dedicate the 82-km-long Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat Corridor to the nation and inaugurate the remaining sections of the RRTS. This step will set a new example for integrated urban and regional transportation. A hearty welcome and congratulations to the prime minister on the sacred land of Uttar Pradesh, he said.
The prime minister is slated to arrive at the Hindon Airport in Ghaziabad at 11 am. Adityanath will reach the helipad at Mohkampur near Shatabdi Nagar station by a state helicopter at 11.15 am.
Modi's helicopter is scheduled to land at the same helipad at 11.30 am, where he will be received by the chief minister.
At 12.30 pm, the prime minister will flag off the Namo Bharat train and the Meerut Metro from Shatabdi Nagar station. Thereafter, Modi and Adityanath will travel by metro up to Meerut South station.
From there, the prime minister will proceed by road to the public meeting venue at Mohiuddinpur, where he is expected to arrive around 1 pm.
Before addressing the gathering, Modi will lay the foundation stone and inaugurate various development projects.
After spending about an hour at the venue, the prime minister will depart from the Mohiuddinpur helipad at around 2.10 pm for the Hindon Airport, officials added.
The inauguration forms part of the Centre's push to expand regional rapid transit systems aimed at reducing travel time, easing congestion and promoting sustainable urban mobility.
The Namo Bharat service is part of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor, designed to provide high-speed, high-frequency connectivity between Delhi and Meerut.
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Congress committed to social justice, says Karnataka CM; hits out at JD(S), BJP
BJP Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday asserted that the Congress remains firmly committed to social justice, both in principle and practice.
"The Congress is a party committed to social justice. This ideological commitment has been demonstrated not merely through words but through action," the CM said in a statement, underlining that the party has consistently translated its philosophy into governance.
He said his recent article marking Social Justice Day has sparked debate.
Defending the piece, he said: "An article I wrote for a newspaper as part of Social Justice Day celebrations has sparked multifaceted debate in the state’s political circles. If water remains stagnant, it turns into slush; if it flows, it becomes clearer."
"The social system is similar—if it does not remain rigid and instead becomes dynamic, it transforms in a people-centric manner. From this perspective, I welcome the discussion surrounding my article," he added.
Stating that his commitment to social justice is longstanding, the CM said, "Whether in power or out of it, my stand in favour of social justice has remained unwavering. I have greater clarity about the caste system among us than the politicians criticising me."
"I am prepared for a public debate on this issue," Siddaramaiah added.
Responding to criticism from Union Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader H D Kumaraswamy, he said, "I have taken his allegation—that I have ‘dragged caste into the picture for the sake of a chair’—lightly."
Launching a sharp attack on JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and his family, Siddaramaiah added, "Kumaraswamy and his revered father Deve Gowda are certainly not casteists; they are against their own caste. More importantly, they are family-centric. For them, caste is merely a vote bank."
He alleged that past, present, and future top JD(S) leaders would always be members of the Gowda family, questioning how many Vokkaliga leaders the party had nurtured during Deve Gowda’s long political career.
The CM maintained that it was the Congress that had identified and politically groomed Vokkaliga leaders.
"From Kengal Hanumanthaiah to S M Krishna, hundreds of Vokkaliga leaders have been nurtured. If Kengal Hanumanthaiah, Kadidal Manjappa, and S M Krishna became chief ministers, it was because of the Congress," he said, adding that several prominent Vokkaliga leaders are currently in the party.
"If one day anyone other than a member of Deve Gowda’s family becomes chief minister, it will be through the Congress," he noted.
Highlighting inclusivity, Siddaramaiah said the Congress has enabled leaders from Vokkaliga, Lingayat, and backward communities to become chief ministers in Karnataka, and expressed gratitude to party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi for giving him a second term.
He added that leaders from the Dalit community who rise to the CM's post do so on merit, not merely caste. "I can confidently say that if someone from the Dalit community becomes chief minister in the future, it will be possible only through the Congress,” he reiterated.
He questioned whether the JD(S) or the BJP in the state is capable of fostering such aspirations. "This is the difference between the Congress, the BJP and JD(S). Therefore, I urge those accusing me of practising caste politics to introspect," the CM said.
