- Friday, April 26, 2024
By: Shubham Ghosh
The bridge collapse incident in the western Indian state of Gujarat on October 30 has stirred up a political controversy ahead of the upcoming elections in the state.
Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal, who has challenged the state’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in this election, targeted the state government saying its chief minister Bhupendra Patel should “resign immediately” after the tragedy in Morbi in which more than 130 people were killed.
Kejriwal, whose party has left it to the people to decide on its chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming election, said the bridge tragedy was a result of corruption and referred to reports on how a company that makes clocks was given the charge to renovate the century-old suspension bridge.
“Why was a company that makes clocks given the tender of a bridge? This means he had links with the party (BJP). The FIR in the case mentions neither the company nor its owners,” Kejriwal said.
He also said that there are allegations that the ruling party had received donations from the company’s owners, and said such charges need to be probed.
Kejriwal also spoke over the clean-up exercise at the civil hospital in Morbi ahead of prime minister Narendra Modi’s visit to meet the accident’s survivors.
“The spruce-up at hospital is a separate matter, but the matter is being covered up. The chief minister has no right to continue. He must resign and elections should be held immediately,” he said.
Opposition parties such as the AAP and Indian National Congress slammed the overnight cleaning drive at the hospital ahead of the high-profile visit.
The Congress called it a “tragedy event” and said, “They have no shame, so many people have died, and they are busy in event management.”
The AAP said, “Repair work is on to ensure there is nothing amiss in the prime minister’s photoshoot tomorrow.”
