High drama at Digha rly station as BJP, Sena (UBT) clash over credit

When Modi commissioned the station remotely, both Vichare and Naik boarded the motorman’s cabin to felicitate the driver. While Vichare deboarded the train at Dighe itself, Naik, who bought the first ticket at the station, travelled all the way to Thane

NAVI MUMBAI: High drama unfolded on Friday at the Digha Gaon railway station, which was inaugurated by prime minister Narendra Modi remotely from the Navi Mumbai airport site, as leaders and workers of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena (UBT) jostled to take credit for its commissioning. Raosaheb Danve, union minister of state for railways, was present at the station during the event.

HT Image

Both Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Thane MP Rajan Vichare and BJP leader and former Thane MP Sanjeev Naik reached the Digha Gaon railway station premises with their supporters prior to the inauguration, carrying drums and musical instruments to celebrate the occasion. Both groups tried to occupy the stage erected at the station and engaged in sloganeering, each hailing their respective leaders. They also claimed credit for changing the station’s name from Dighe to Digha Gaon following opposition from locals.

There was heavy police bandobast at the venue to ensure that no untoward incident occurred, even though there were some heated exchange between the police and Vichare’s supporters after they were asked to desist from playing drums.

When Modi commissioned the station remotely, both Vichare and Naik boarded the motorman’s cabin to felicitate the driver. While Vichare deboarded the train at Dighe itself, Naik, who bought the first ticket at the station, travelled all the way to Thane.

Speaking after the commissioning, Vichare claimed that he had worked hard to make the bridge a reality over nine long years, including during the Covid-19 pandemic, when he made multiple visits to the project site.

“The follow-ups that I have done and the push I gave to the long-delayed project is all on record. In fact, it was ready almost eight months ago, but its inauguration was delayed for want of a VIP visit. This is a loss for the railways, the people and the nation, for which the government is responsible.”

Taking a swipe at Naik, he said, “People who were sleeping in their homes and have nothing to do with the project have suddenly come out with their flags. It is unfortunate that today, we have to take to the streets to get our due.”

Vichare also took umbrage over the omission of his name from the invite for today’s inauguration programme. “Is today’s programme that of the administration or a party? The government’s action points to their crooked mindset. They will of course be shown their place in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections,” he said.

Refuting Vichare’s claims, Sanjeev Naik claimed that he did not need to take credit for its commissioning as the public knew everything.

“I am so glad that I bought the first ticket today. People’s welfare is of utmost importance, and I am glad that I have achieved what I had promised to the residents and commuters. Ye public hai, sab jaanti hai,” he said.

Naik claimed that approval for the Digha Gaon and Khairane-Bonkode railway stations was granted when he was the MP. “I followed up with respective ministers and railway board officials even after my tenure as MP ended, informing them about the budgetary provisions for the project. It was I who had demanded the Airoli-Kalwa Unnat Marg as well. Work on the road is proceeding well, and it will benefit passengers travelling to Kalyan and beyond,” he said.

Long wait for Airoli-Kalwa rail corridor

Though the Digha Gaon railway station, built at a cost of ₹90 crore, was commissioned by prime minister Narendra Modi on Friday, the Airoli-Kalwa elevated rail corridor of which it is a part is at least three years away from being operational owing to complications in land acquisition.

Sources in the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC), which is constructing the 8-km Airoli-Kalwa corridor at a cost of ₹476 crore, said only 45% of the work on the project was complete and around 0.57 hectares of private land in the 2.44-hectare project remained to be acquired. Though the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority has earmarked 868 tenements on this land that need to be shifted, sources said that families residing on the said land were not clearing the same as they had political backing.

“We have already allotted alternative houses to 82 project-affected families in Ghodbunder Road, while plans are afoot to allot rental houses to the remaining 786 families at Balkum. But verification is pending due to protests by slum dwellers and local representatives,” said an official. Though the alternate houses are located within a 2-3 km radius of the existing location, they are not acceptable to the PAPs, he said.

Until the new corridor is ready, Central Railway (CR) will use the Digha railway station to accommodate trains on the Thane-Vashi Trans Harbour line.