IANS/New Delhi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday travelled by the Delhi Metro from Dhaula Kuan to Dwarka station on the Airport Express line and shared a picture on social networking site Twitter.
“Really enjoyed the ride. Thanks Delhi Metro. Thanks Sreedharan ji!,” the prime minister tweeted.
He was referring to former Delhi Metro chief E Sreedharan, popularly known as the “Metro Man.”.
The prime minister, who was on the train between 10.05am and 10.20am, paid for his ticket, the Delhi Metro Rail Corp said.
A DMRC spokesman said no other metro train was delayed or suspended “because the prime minister travelled for a short duration.”
“All trains on this line were running perfectly fine. There were no delays on the line that has a service every 15 minutes,” he added.
Modi, accompanied by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, was on his way to inaugurate the National Intelligence Academy in the west Delhi neighbourhood.
Sources said the prime minister took the Metro to avoid inconvenience to the public on the route because of security arrangements. The Metro ride from Dhaula Kuan to Dwarka took 12 minutes.
The prime minister, who was travelling on the Delhi Metro for the first time, said: “Sreedharan ji would always tell me to experience the Delhi Metro. Today I had the opportunity to do so on the way to Dwarka.”
“The PM set an example today, used the Metro just like all of us in public use daily. He is thus sending a message that all of us should use the Metro regularly. He also advised his ministers that they should use a bicycle more often,” said Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes a ride on a Delhi Metro train yesterday.
