A close associate of Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday asked why the Maharashtra government was in a hurry to dismantle a Covid-19 care centre in Mumbai to make way for a bullet train station. There are several cases of coronavirus and H1N1 virus (swine flu) in Mumbai and the Eknath Shinde-led state government should provide all necessary health facilities to people, Thackeray's media advisor Harshal Pradhan told PTI.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw last week said the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) has invited bids for the design and construction of an underground station in Mumbai's Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) area and for tunnels for the bullet train project.