Guj Dy CM dubs Mevani anti-national for opposing bullet train

The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project was the focus of an acrimonious debate in the Gujarat Assembly Tuesday with deputy chief minister Nitin Patel dubbing Independent MLA Jignesh Mevani "anti-national" for opposing it.

The high speed rail project between Maharashtra and Gujarat's biggest cities has been caught up in legal battles after several farmers along the route approached courts to stall land acquisition.

The verbal duel occurred when Patel was replying to a query by Congress MLA Akshay Patel on the project.

Mevani said, "Farmers of Gujarat and Maharashtra are against this project. They are not willing to give their land for it. I met such farmers in Maharashtra recently. If they are not willing, why you are snatching their land forcibly?"

Patel said no project would see the light of day if the views of everyone were taken into account.

"There is no point listening to such anti-national and anti-development element," he said, attacking Mevani.

The ...