Goa, July 17 -- Former Japanese Justice Minister Hideki Makihara has accused Indian authorities of being responsible for delays in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project, alleging that officials repeatedly failed to honour commitments during negotiations. The remarks have sparked fresh debate over the progress of India's first high-speed rail corridor, even as the Centre insists construction is moving ahead as planned.

Makihara made the allegations in a post on X while responding to an opinion article by Japanese railway engineer Isao Tsujimura, who argued that the project had drifted away from the original Japanese Shinkansen model. Claiming to have been involved in discussions related to the project, Makihara alleged that Indian off...