Bhopal, Apr 1 (UNI) In a scathing assault on the Opposition in general and Congress dynasticism in particular, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday unleashed a veritable political barrage by alleging that earlier dispensations considered “a certain family” as everything and accomplished naught for the commoner.



While addressing a public meeting at the Madhya Pradesh capital’s Rani Kamalapati Station on the occasion of flagging off the Bhopal-Delhi Vande Bharat Express, the visiting leader did not name any individual or entity when he said, “Such people are working on a resolve to sully my image. The Centre responded with its accomplishments; as a consequence the detractors are jittery and that is precisely why there is talk of digging my grave. Twenty-first century India is working with fresh thinking; predecessor governments were busy in appeasement alone.”



Should not the Railways have been modernised earlier, the Prime Minister asked rhetorically and added that if earlier regimes had thus willed, it could have been accomplished.



“As soon as we assumed the reins, we laid emphasis on modernisation of Railways; it is our endeavour to make them numero uno at global level. There is ceaseless stress on extension of facilities and that is reflected in the numerous provisions contained in the latest Budget. Special focus is on passenger safety and assistance is rapidly available in an emergency. The accent is also on electrification of tracks, stations are being modernised and equipped with Wi-Fi in addition to CCTV. Cleanliness of trains and stations is a priority area; attention is being paid to redress of complaints,” he observed.



Commendable work is underway within Madhya Pradesh vis-a-vis the industrial and also every other sphere and the state is ceaselessly advancing in the context of various development parameters, the Prime Minister noted and said that Rs 13,000 crore have been allocated to the state in the Railway Budget as compared to a mere Rs 600 cr nine years earlier.



“This train is a symbol of our skill and self-reliance; it shall enhance tourism in Bhopal’s surroundings. The Vande Bharat Express also symbolises the enthusiasm of developing India. In the recent past, I dedicated this modernised station to the people,” he reminisced during his 22-minute-long speech.



Mr Modi offers tributes to devotees whose lives were snuffed out by the Ram Navami temple tragedy in the state’s commercial capital Indore and prayed for early recovery of the injured.