Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan on Friday said he had no idea whether the SilverLine project would get the approval of the Prime Minister’s Office.
Addressing the media here, he said the protest against the K-Rail project was not that by the BJP or the Congress but a popular struggle of the masses. The BJP will stand with the people, he said, adding that no government could implement any project disregarding protests by people.
Mr. Muraleedharan said Union Minster for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw had assured the State government that the existing railway system would be strengthened to replace the SilverLine project. However, the State government had hampered the development of railway in Kerala, he alleged.
The Minister said it remained a mystery that a detailed project report on the SilverLine corridor had not yet been released. Also, the Chief Minister has not been holding discussions with people who were apprehensive about the project. He also sought clarification from the Chief Minister, who is also a CPI(M) polit buro member, on the party’s policy on the project. “The people of Kerala require facilities to travel faster. But SilverLine will cause trouble to them,” he said.
