NEW DELHI, India: A diplomatic spat has broken out over India’s flagship bullet train project, with a former Japanese minister launching a scathing attack on New Delhi for “sheer recklessness” and broken promises, even as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reaffirmed Tokyo’s support for the ambitious corridor just days ago.
Hideki Makihara, Japan’s former Justice Minister exposes Modi and his minister for their inefficiency, recklessness and corruption in the so-called Bullet Train project in India. The world is finally finding out these frauds! pic.twitter.com/RFzFUZkLg6
— Ashok Swain (@ashoswai) July 17, 2026
Hideki Makihara, a former Justice Minister of Japan and member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, took to social media to allege that India’s handling of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) project was “entirely” responsible for its stagnation.
His remarks have triggered a political firestorm, with India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) swiftly dismissing the accusations as an “individual opinion” at “considerable variance with the facts”.
‘They flip promises right away’: Makihara’s explosive charge
In a post on X, Makihara did not hold back his frustration, claiming that what stood out in international meetings was the “sheer recklessness of the Indian side, repeated over and over”. He accused Indian officials of routinely failing to honour commitments, stating, “They just don’t keep promises, no matter what. Even if they make a promise, they flip it right away. They keep pushing their own self-interest right up to the very end”.
Japan has openly pointed at India for the delays in the Mumbai Ahmedabad Bullet Train project.
Japanese minister Hideki Makihara said the project got delayed because of India’s side, not Japan’s. He also raised concerns over changes in the original Shinkansen plan and said these… pic.twitter.com/eKwH1yoZsi
— Nalini Unagar (@NalinisKitchen) July 17, 2026
The former minister singled out the Indian minister-in-charge for particularly harsh criticism, adding that if “the top guy’s like that, there’s no way to have any decent dealings”. His comments came in response to an opinion piece by a Japanese engineer suggesting the project had significantly diverged from the original Shinkansen model, with Makihara concluding, “I feel 100% that the reason this hasn’t moved forward is entirely on the Indian side”.
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Reacting to the diplomatic rebuke, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal rejected the allegations on Friday, insisting that bilateral discussions are “progressing well”. He clarified that Japan will provide its next-generation E10 series Shinkansen trains only in the early 2030s as the train is still under development.
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Asserting that construction has “rapidly progressed,” Jaiswal confirmed that the first section of the 508-kilometre corridor is on track to open in 2027 itself. “Therefore, both sides agreed to start the operations with the Indian high-speed train,” he stated, directly contradicting claims of a stalled project. Regarding concerns about signalling, the MEA maintained that equipment was procured according to international standards, adding that “no Japanese offer was received in this context”.
Bullet Trains without the Bullet
So, the “Mumbai Ahmedabad Bullet Train” project will not have bullet trains anymore.
Mr. @hmakihara, a former Japanese Railway Engineer who was also a minister, closely monitoring the Mumbai – Ahmedabad project, has clearly called Modi and… pic.twitter.com/qT0dfoNJiR
— Congress Kerala (@INCKerala) July 17, 2026
Political storm as opposition seizes on criticism
The former minister’s remarks have been seized upon by India’s opposition, with Congress leader Pawan Khera taking a swipe at the Centre, calling it “another feather in PM Modi and the Reel Minister’s cap”.
The development comes even as the Japanese Prime Minister recently concluded a high-profile visit to India, and as Indian Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the successful breakthrough of the second mountain tunnel on the corridor, underlining the project’s momentum.
