Elphinstone Road stampede: Raj Thackeray slams bullet train project, blames migrants for tragedy

A day after 22 people were killed in a stampede on a foot-over-bridge at Elphinstone Road station in Mumbai, MNS chief Raj Thackeray trained his guns on the ambitious bullet train project. Thackeray warned the Centre and the Maharashtra government that his party won't let even a single brick be laid for the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project, until basic infrastructure is provided to Mumbai citizens.

Speaking to reporters at his residence in Dadar, Thackeray threatened a major morcha to the Western Railways headquarters in Churchgate on 5 October, to highlight poor transport infrastructure.

"While people are struggling to survive in the cities, Modi is asking them to do yoga and campaign for Swachh Bharat.



We will launch a 'no bullet train campaign'," Thackeray said slamming the Modi government.

The MNS president claimed that Suresh Prabhu was replaced by Piyush Goyal as the Railway Minister only to push through the Bullet Train project. "This Goyal is useless, Prabhu was good," he said.

"Does one need bullet train or improvement of basic rail infrastructure," Thackeray said.

Attacking the BJP, Thackeray called Modi a "liar" who changed all his statements before and after the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. "We have never seen a PM who is such a big liar. He made big promises and then dismissed them as 'election jumlas'. How much can a person lie in this fashion?" asked Thackeray.