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Fact Check: PM Modi Never Said Vajpayee Started India's First Metro
Writer: Yusha Rahman
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India, 29 Dec 2020 11:20 AM GMT
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PM Narendra Modi never said that the first Metro train in India was started by the efforts of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Media misquoted him.
Many people on social media are sharing news reports saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the first Metro train in India was started by the efforts of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The posts are being shared in the backdrop of the inauguration of the first driver-less metro train. On December 28, 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India's first-ever driver-less train operations on the Delhi Metro's Magenta Line. His speech during the inaugural event is being misquoted and shared on social media.
The social media posts say, "The first metro in the country was started with the efforts of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. When BJP govt was formed in 2014, only 5 cities had metro services and today 18 cities have metro rail service. By 2025, BJP govt will take Metro service to more than 25 cities: Prime Minister Narendra Modi."
First metro in the country was started with the efforts of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
— Dinesh Nation first (@DineshGagrani1) December 28, 2020
When BJP govt was formed in 2014, only 5 cities had metro services & today 18 cities have metro rail service.
By 2025, BJP govt will take Metro service to more than 25 cities.
- PM @NarendraModi
Many people shared the post on Twitter.
First metro in the country was started with the efforts of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
— V.Saran (@TheSaran_TNBJP) December 28, 2020
When BJP govt was formed in 2014, only 5 cities had metro services & today 18 cities have metro rail service.
By 2025, BJP govt will take Metro service to more than 25 cities.
- PM @NarendraModi
Many people on Facebook also shared the same post claiming PM Modi stated that the first metro in the country was started by the efforts of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
"First metro in the country was started due to the efforts of Atal Bihari Vajpayee," says PM Narendra Modi at...
Posted by Bhagat Singh on Monday, 28 December 2020
The Times of India also misquoted the statement of PM Modi. The archive of the link is here.
Claim:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the first metro in the country was started with the efforts of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Fact Check:
On listening to the video we found that Prime Minister Narendra Modi actually said that Delhi's metro was started by the efforts of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, which has been misquoted as first Indian metro was started by the efforts of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Official YouTube channel of Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared the video of the inauguration of India's first driver-less metro. At around 16 minutes, one can hear PM Modi saying, "Despite so many discussions over construction of Delhi Metro, the first metro started with the efforts of Atal Ji." Hence, PM Modi took Vajpayee's name in the context of Delhi Metro and not the first metro in India.
We also found news agency ANI had earlier misquoted PM Modi and later put a correction in this regard. ANI later tweeted, "Correction | First metro in Delhi* was started with the efforts of Atal Ji. When our govt was formed in 2014, only 5 cities had metro services & today 18 cities have metro rail service. By 2025, we will take this service to more than 25 cities: PM Narendra Modi."
Correction | First metro in Delhi* was started with the efforts of Atal Ji. When our govt was formed in 2014, only 5 cities had metro services & today 18 cities have metro rail service. By 2025, we will take this service to more than 25 cities: PM Narendra Modi pic.twitter.com/snv7PFkQBW
— ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2020
Hence, PM Modi's statement was misquoted by media agencies and social media handle.
Facts About Delhi's First Metro:
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (DMRC) was registered on 3rd May 1995 under the Companies Act, 1956. DMRC is the centre-state public sector company that operates the Delhi Metro. But the first Delhi metro line was inaugurated on December 24, 2002. The metro became available for public utility from December 25, 2002. The first Delhi metro corridor was between Shahdara and Tis Hazari court. The first phase of construction worth 65 kilometres of Metro lines was finished in two years and nine months ahead of schedule in 2005, according to DMRC site.
BBC had reported on December 24, 2002, that the then Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee took his first ride on the first train of a brand-new metro system for the Indian capital, Delhi, minutes after inaugurating the first section of the mass rapid transit system.
Hindustan Times, in an article published on August 18, 2018, quoted, Sheila Dixit, former Chief Minister of Delhi. Sheila Dixit had acknowledged the efforts made by Vajpayee to put Delhi Metro project on the fast track.
Facts About India's First Metro:
The first metro in India was opened in Kolkata on October 24, 1984, between Esplanade and Bhowanipur.
The master plan of the development of Metro in Kolkata was prepared in 1971 and the plan was sanctioned on June 1, 1972. The Foundation stone of Kolkata Metro was laid on December 29, 1972, by Smt. Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India and the construction work started in 1973-74.
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