Some achievements transcend politics. And then there’s the Chenab Bridge—towering at 359 metres above the riverbed, outstretched the Eiffel Tower by 35 metres, and standing proudly as the highest railway arch bridge in the world. It’s not just an engineering marvel; it’s a testament to India’s resolve to connect the remotest frontiers through sheer willpower, ingenuity, and leadership. Yet, true to form, the Congress party cannot stomach giving credit where it’s due. That the Chenab Bridge has finally been completed and brought into the national rail grid under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is an indisputable fact. The Congress’s latest tantrum, led by Jairam Ramesh, reeks of political insecurity and historical revisionism. Let’s set the record straight. Yes, the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project was sanctioned in 1994-95 during the Narasimha Rao government. Yes, Atal Bihari Vajpayee declared it a national project in 2002. And yes, around 160 kilometres of the 272-kilometre stretch was completed before 2014. But a sanction on paper is not the same as seeing a project through the logistical, political, financial, and engineering minefield that a structure like Chenab demands. That’s precisely what the Modi government did—and did with conviction. From 2014 onwards, under a government that didn’t just make announcements but executed them, the Chenab Bridge moved from blueprint to breathtaking reality. Constructed with 28,660 tonnes of steel, capable of withstanding wind speeds of 260 km/h, sub-zero temperatures, and seismic tremors, this bridge is a beacon of India’s new infrastructure story. It is expected to last 120 years, longer than most of our political careers.
Contrast this with the Congress-era dithering. Between 2004 and 2014, India witnessed not just policy paralysis but scam after scam. Whether it was CWG, 2G, or Coalgate, the UPA’s tenure is remembered more for missed opportunities than for national progress. Even on matters of national security, former Defence Minister A.K. Antony famously admitted India was under-prepared to build infrastructure along the China border. The Congress-led UPA had neither the appetite nor the clarity to deliver on frontier development. Jairam Ramesh’s claim that 50% of the work was completed before 2014 is laughable when you consider that the Chenab Bridge—arguably the most difficult section of the entire USBRL project—was completed in 2022, after years of uninterrupted effort under Modi’s leadership. Not to mention the strategic Vande Bharat Express trial run through the bridge, which is the first train designed specifically to endure the extreme Kashmiri climate.
This isn’t a tale of who laid the foundation stone. This is about who had the vision, discipline, and political will to bring the steel and concrete to life. Modi didn’t just “inaugurate” the bridge. He stayed the course, ensured uninterrupted funding, resolved engineering challenges through coordination with private Indian firms like Afcons and foreign experts from South Korea, and saw the project to its grand conclusion. And let us not forget what this means for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. For the first time, direct railway connectivity will stitch Srinagar into the national network—not just symbolically, but tangibly. It’s a vital link for economic integration, tourism, defence logistics, and national unity. Instead of sulking and spinning half-truths, the Congress should introspect why it failed to deliver despite starting early. It should ask why infrastructure projects moved at a snail’s pace under its rule. And perhaps, just this once, it should summon the humility to applaud an achievement that serves the nation, irrespective of which party finishes the race. Because the truth is this: the Chenab Bridge is not just steel and cables—it is a towering metaphor for the new India under Narendra Modi. And no amount of Congress carping can change that.
