Modi’s Metro joke draws laughter from CM Siddaramaiah, DCM Shivakumar

PM Modi humourously noted women prefer Bengaluru Metro over Karnataka’s free bus scheme during Yellow Line inauguration. The Rs 7,160 crore project marks a key step in Metro expansion, with Modi also laying foundation for Phase 3’s Orange Line

Bengaluru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi sparked laughter inside Bengaluru’s newly inaugurated Metro Yellow Line on Sunday with a light-hearted dig at Karnataka’s free bus travel scheme for women.

During the ride from Ragigudda to Konappana Agrahara (Infosys Foundation Metro Station), Modi turned to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar, asking the women passengers present:

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“Do you like travelling by metro? Or by bus?”

When women answered they prefer the metro, Modi turned to Siddaramaiah and said: ”See, even though you have made buses free for women, they prefer the metro!”

The remark, aimed squarely at the Congress government’s flagship Shakti scheme offering free bus travel to women, prompted laughter from both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar. BJP MPs seated opposite also joined in the laughter.

Earlier in the day, Modi flagged off three Vande Bharat trains at KSR Station before inaugurating the 19.15 km Yellow Line connecting Bommasandra to R V Road. The project, costing Rs 7,160 crore, is jointly funded by the Centre and State, though Siddaramaiah later claimed the state had borne a larger share.

The event wasn’t without political undertones. While Modi emphasised the Centre–State partnership in Metro expansion, the CM pointed out that Karnataka had spent Rs 25,387 crore so far on Metro works, compared to the Centre’s Rs 7,468.86 crore. He urged Modi to extend the same attention to Karnataka as Maharashtra and Gujarat.

The day also saw Modi laying the foundation stone for the Orange Line under Phase 3, part of a plan to expand Bengaluru’s Metro network to 220 km by 2030, potentially serving 30 lakh daily passengers.