Arvind Kejriwal refused to comment on the centre's snub. "I wish you a Merry Christmas. No discussion on politics...," he told reporters.

Senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh on Sunday accused the Modi government of "hatred" towards Arvind Kejriwal. This is the third Metro launch that Mr Kejriwal has not been invited to since 2015; PM Modi did the honours all three times.

Last week, during a trial run on the Magenta Line, a driverless train drove through a wall at the Kalindi Kunj depot because the brakes had not engaged allegedly because of human error.

After fares were raised in October by 20-50 per cent, the Delhi Metro lost three lakh commuters a day, a Right to Information (RTI) application revealed.

Ticket prices went up by Rs.10 for almost every distance slab in October, just five months after another hike of up to 100 per cent.

Arvind Kejriwal has criticised the centre over the hike in metro fares. The Chief Minister said that the hike didn't benefit anyone.

The Magenta Line is the third metro line to be inaugurated by PM Modi in 2017. He had earlier "dedicated the Kochi Metro to the nation in June, and the Hyderabad Metro in November," a press statement said.

Yogi Adityanath visited Noida on Saturday to review security and other arrangements ahead of PM Modi's visit, braving the famous "Noida jinx" that kept his predecessors away from the state's urban hub; it is widely believed that whoever visits Noida, loses power.

Ahead of the launch, there were protests near the Botanical Garden Station by flat-owners who alleged that they had not been given possession of their homes long past the due date.