Delhi Metro's Noida foray has two flag-offs to suit the two chief ministers; the first trains don't actually cross the border
Delhi Metro's Noida foray has two flag-offs to suit the two chief ministers; the first trains don't actually cross the border
It couldn't have been more ironic.
The much-hyped Noida foray of the Delhi Metro on Thursday didn't actually take place the way it should have. Not in the real sense.
The VIP guests were there, so was the curious crowd and two spanking new Metro coaches were flagged off ceremoniously, but they didn't cross the border.
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Metro masala: Uttar Pradesh CM Mayawati flags off the first Noida-Delhi Metro train from the Noida City Centre Station on Thursday. Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Union Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy at the Delhi leg of the event. Meanwhile, Satish Bharadwaj, SHO, Mandawali, being taken to the hospital. He fell ill during the function. PICS/IMTIYAZ KHAN |
In what could rewrite the history of hostility between two states in the country, the launch of the Delhi-Noida Metro link was marked by two separate flag-offs, two pujas and a twist in the tale u2014 the two flagged off trains were aborted halfway. Reason: the chief ministers of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh couldn't meet on the same track, not even for this historic occasion.
However, later in the day, trains carrying media representatives and guests did run between Delhi and Noida.
In Delhi, Union Urban Development Minister S Jaipal Reddy and Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit flagged off a train from Akshardham Metro Station at 12.45 pm.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati flagged off the second train barely hours later in a separate ceremony in Noida, this despite the fact that she was in her Delhi residence during the first ceremony.u00a0
The Metro train flagged off by Reddy and Dikshit did not enter Noida and was aborted at New Ashok Nagar Metro Station. Similarly, the train in which Mayawati traveled from Noida City Centre did not enter Delhi and was stalled at Sector-16 Metro Station.
'Maya ka photo'
However, the similarities between the two events ended here. While in Delhi, the launch was a modest affair held in the Commonwealth Games Village Metro Station, Mayawati's flag-off was ostentatious.
Sources in Delhi Metro said Mayawati made Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) alter the posters announcing the occasion at Noida City Centre, the flag-off venue, to include her photographs. In Delhi, no such poster was used.
As Mayawati arrived at the venue, she was flanked by a number of close associates, IAS officers and police officers from the Meerut Range.
Kursi ka khel
Interestingly, family members of her associates took over the VIP seats reserved for DMRC and Union Urban Development Ministry officers. The official guests had to satisfy themselves with the second row. Even seats meant for representatives of the local media were occupied by Mayawati's entourage from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). As Mayawati travelled by road from Delhi to Noida to launch the service, streets were cordoned off and the general public was harassed. Even at Noida City Centre, chaos prevailed. People were not allowed to venture within two kilometre of the Noida City Centre Metro Station for four to five hours.
"It's ridiculous. Mayawati has come for just half-an-hour and people were harassed for hours. They have made arrangements as if an American President is visiting," said a senior official from the Union Urban Development Ministry, who attended both the events.
Who's DMRC?Interestingly, at the Delhi press conference while Dikshit spoke impromptu and thanked all those involved in the project, in Noida, Mayawati read out from a written statement and even before any questions could be asked, she left the venue.
She forgot to thank even the DMRC. Instead, she said, "I am very happy that the Noida authority followed all the instructions I had given. I appreciate their efforts to get Metro to Noida." If this isn't blowing one's own trumpet, what is?
