Congress slams BJP over Gujarat bridge collapse

The Congress launched a strong critique against the BJP on Thursday following a tragic bridge collapse in Gujarat, accusing the ruling party's leadership and government of being indifferent as they focus on delivering speeches and issuing advertisements under the guise of governance.

The opposition party alleged widespread incompetence and corruption under the BJP's rule, predicting that the public would eventually respond to these issues appropriately.

Officials reported that 13 individuals lost their lives when several vehicles plunged into the Mahisagar river after a portion of a 40-year-old bridge collapsed in Vadodara district on Wednesday morning.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge expressed his condolences in a post in Hindi, stating, "Accidents have become a common occurrence in the country. We see a train accident one day, a newly inaugurated bridge developing cracks another day. While the nation is yet to recover from a plane crash, news of a bridge collapse in Gujarat emerges," he said.

He added, "Our deepest condolences go out to the families of the victims."

Kharge highlighted that media reports had indicated three years prior that the bridge was in a "dangerous" state due to "vibrations," yet nothing was done. He noted that this is the seventh bridge collapse in Gujarat since 2021.

"The BJP leadership and government have crossed all bounds of indifference, focusing solely on speeches and advertisements under the name of 'governance' across the country," Kharge criticized.

"This is the result of a leadership crisis, rampant corruption, an inability to govern effectively, and sheer incompetence," he claimed.

Kharge expressed hope that the public is observing these events and will provide a suitable response in due time.

The death toll from the collapse of the bridge over a river in Vadodara district, Gujarat, rose to 13 after the recovery of two more bodies on Thursday, officials said.

The disaster occurred when a slab of the Gambhira-Mujpur bridge, which links central Gujarat to the Saurashtra region, collapsed around 7 am on Wednesday, causing vehicles to fall into the river.

Out of the nine individuals rescued, five sustained injuries and are receiving treatment at SSG Hospital in Vadodara. Fortunately, none of the injured are in critical condition.

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