India, July 18 -- The Indian government has firmly rejected remarks by former Japanese Justice Minister Hideki Makihara, who blamed India for delays in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) described his comments as a personal opinion that was "at considerable variance with facts" and reaffirmed that discussions with Japan on the high-speed rail project are progressing smoothly.

Makihara had alleged that Indian officials repeatedly failed to honour commitments during negotiations and had excluded Japan from key aspects of the project, including the signalling system. Responding to the criticism, the MEA said cooperation between the two countries remains strong and that both sides continue to wo...