Morbi bridge tragedy: Digvijaya Singh demands Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel's resignation

Digvijaya Singh

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has demanded the resignation of Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel over the Morbi bridge collapse tragedy.

A Congress delegation led by Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Gujarat party president Jagdish Thakor and former Madhya Pradesh CM Digvijaya Singh visited Morbi on Monday, a day after the suspension bridge over the Machchhu river collapsed.

Rajkot Range Inspector General Ashok Yadav told PTI on Monday that 134 people were killed after the bridge collapsed on Sunday evening.

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Talking to reporters on Monday, Digvijaya Singh claimed it was a "government-made tragedy" and demanded that the state chief minister resign on moral grounds.

"I don't want to do politics, but I have learnt that BJP ministers, MPs, collector and Morbi district superintendent of police were holding a meeting at a nearby place when the bridge collapsed on Sunday evening. They did not stop the meeting to come here," the Congress veteran further claimed.

Singh also asked how the bridge was thrown open for the public without any (fitness) certificate from the authorities.

"This is not a man-made but a government-made tragedy and the Gujarat CM must apologise to the public and tender his resignation. Why were so many people allowed to come on the bridge? The liability must be fixed and culprits must be arrested at the earliest," he added.

Police on Monday arrested nine persons, including four from the Oreva group that was managing the suspension bridge, and filed a case against firms tasked with maintenance and operation of the British-era structure.

Video footage emerged of the moments before Sunday evening's deadly collapse, showing the bridge snapping in a few seconds, taking down scores of visitors seen walking on the swaying structure which had reopened six days ago after extensive repair but sans a fitness certificate.

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