Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said Article 370 was a barrier in the development of Jammu & Kashmir and for the unity of this country but with its abrogation the evil of terrorism would completely be eliminated from the region. Shah, who was accompanied by Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, Union Ministers Jitendra Singh and Harsh Vardhan flagged off Vande Bharat express from the New Delhi Railway Station on Thursday.
"I believe that not only Article 370 was a roadblock for the unity of this country, but it was also the biggest roadblock for the development of Kashmir. I am sure that after the removal of this Article, we will be successful in completely eradicating terrorism and the ideas promoting terrorism in the area," he said. Shah further said that Jammu & Kashmir will be one of the most-developed regions of the country within the next 10 years and the journey of development has begun with Vande Bharat Express, which is set to boost development and promote religious tourism," he added.
Remembering Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary (on October 2), Shah said Gandhi gave a philosophy to the world about how to derive simple solutions to the biggest problems. He expressed pride in saying that the Vande Bharat Express was totally "swadeshi" and at par with the latest rail transport technology across the world.
"The railways should document its relationship with Mahatma Gandhi as it forms a significant episode in the country's freedom struggle," Shah said.
Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Jitendra Singh said the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir was a gift for the people of the region after three decades of struggle and the launch of the train was another gift, which would contribute in building a new Jammu & Kashmir.
The Vande Bharat Express will cut the travel time between Delhi and Katra to eight hours from the previous 12 hours. The first Vande Bharat Express that runs between Delhi and Varanasi was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February. The New Delhi-Katra train has a bigger pantry compared to the first Train 18.