PM flags off Ernakulam-Bengaluru Vande Bharat, RSS song video sparks row
Follow TNM’s WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links.Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, November 8, virtually flagged off Kerala’s third Vande Bharat Express, connecting Ernakulam with Bengaluru. He joined the ceremony from Varanasi. The launch event at Ernakulam South railway station was attended by officials, elected representatives, and students.The ceremony, meanwhile, sparked controversy after a video showing school students singing a song associated with Hindutva outfit Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) inside the train was shared by Southern Railway’s official X handle. The clip, part of the inaugural-day programme, showed students performing the song while travelling in the coach. The post was deleted a few hours later following online criticism. Railway authorities have not issued a statement on the matter.Kerala Governor Rajendra V Arlekar, Union Minister of State for Fisheries George Kurian, State Law Minister P Rajeeve, and MPs Hibi Eden and T J Vinod were among those present at the event. Students also performed patriotic songs inside the train before departure.The train, originally scheduled to leave at 8 am, departed around 8.45 am after the formal proceedings.The Ernakulam-Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express covers 608 km in about nine hours with 11 stops — Thrissur, Shoranur, Palakkad, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode, Salem, Jolarpettai, Krishnarajapuram, and KSR Bengaluru. It leaves Ernakulam at 2.20 pm and reaches Bengaluru at 11 pm, while the return service departs Bengaluru at 5.10 am and arrives in Ernakulam at 1.50 pm.Officials said the new service will enhance rail connectivity between Kerala and Karnataka.At the same ceremony, the Prime Minister also inaugurated four other Vande Bharat services — Banaras-Khajuraho, Lucknow-Firozpur, and Delhi routes.According to Southern Railway, this is the 12th Vande Bharat service under its network.
Follow TNM’s WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links.
PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, November 8, virtually flagged off Kerala’s third Vande Bharat Express, connecting Ernakulam with Bengaluru.
He joined the ceremony from Varanasi. The launch event at Ernakulam South railway station was attended by officials, elected representatives and students.
The ceremony, meanwhile, sparked controversy after a video showing school students singing a song associated with Hindutva outfit Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) inside the train was shared by Southern Railway’s official X handle.
The clip, part of the inaugural-day programme, showed students performing the song while travelling in the coach. The post was deleted a few hours later following online criticism. Railway authorities have not issued a statement on the matter.
Kerala Governor Rajendra V Arlekar, Union Minister of State for Fisheries George Kurian, State Law Minister P Rajeeve, and MPs Hibi Eden and T J Vinod were among those present at the event. Students also performed patriotic songs inside the train before departure.
The train, originally scheduled to leave at 8 am, departed around 8.45 am after the formal proceedings.
The Ernakulam-Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express covers 608 km in about nine hours with 11 stops — Thrissur, Shoranur, Palakkad, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode, Salem, Jolarpettai, Krishnarajapuram and KSR Bengaluru.
It leaves Ernakulam at 2.20 pm and reaches Bengaluru at 11 pm, while the return service departs Bengaluru at 5.10 am and arrives in Ernakulam at 1.50 pm.
Officials said the new service will enhance rail connectivity between Kerala and Karnataka.
At the same ceremony, the Prime Minister also inaugurated four other Vande Bharat services — Banaras-Khajuraho, Lucknow-Firozpur and Delhi routes.
According to Southern Railway, this is the 12th Vande Bharat service under its network.
