PM Modi, CM Siddaramaiah exchange pleasantries at airport (Ld)

Bengaluru, Aug 10 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi was welcomed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at the HAL Airport here on Sunday, and both exchanged greetings. The PM will flag off the Vande Bharat train services and the Yellow Line Metro, and also take a ride on the Metro. In addition, he will lay the foundation stone for Phase 3 of the Bengaluru Metro.

From HAL Airport, the Prime Minister travelled by helicopter to the HQTC Helipad at Mekhri Circle. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, and other dignitaries welcomed him. Apart from CM Siddaramaiah, Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot was also present at the airport to welcome him. BJP Central Parliamentary Committee Member and former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashoka, also welcomed the Prime Minister by handing over bouquets.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached KSR Train Station from the HQTC Helipad in Bengaluru via car. From Mekhri Circle to KSR Railway station, thousands of BJP workers and fans of the Prime Minister gathered on either side of the road, chanting 'Jai Shri Ram' and 'Modi Modi' slogans. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seated in the front seat of the vehicle, waved at the crowd celebrating his arrival with a smiling face throughout the route.

PM Modi later proceeded to the Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna (KSR) Railway Station for the inauguration of the Vande Bharat train service between Bengaluru and Belagavi.

BJP National Yuva Morcha President and Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya said that the Prime Minister is dedicating two significant projects to the people of the city. “He is laying the foundation stone for Phase 3 of the Metro. Once the services begin, around 10 lakh people will commute by Metro every day. Similarly, the Yellow Line Metro, which will be inaugurated today, will benefit 18 lakh people in the Bengaluru South region,” Surya said.

“I had requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate the Yellow Line Metro Project in Bengaluru. The Prime Minister maintained that any further delay in inaugurating these projects was not acceptable, as the Metro services would provide relief to the people of Bengaluru suffering from traffic congestion. He fixed the inauguration date within a period of just seven to eight days,” Surya added.

“I congratulate Prime Minister Narendra Modi on behalf of the people of Bengaluru and Karnataka,” he said.

PM Modi is flagging off Bengaluru-Belagavi Vande Bharat train services at KSR Railway Station in Bengaluru. He is also flagging off train services between Amritsar-Sri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and Nagpur -Pune.

He is arriving at the RV Road (Ragi Gudda) Metro Station in Bengaluru and flagging off the Yellow Metro Line. He is taking a Metro ride from RV Road to Electronics City Metro Station. He will further lay the foundation for the Metro Phase 3 project at a function organised at the IIIT Auditorium, Electronics City in Bengaluru.

--IANS

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