Opposition Blames BJP for Vadodara Bridge Collapse That Killed 9

Several opposition parties have strongly criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Gujarat government after a section of the Gambhira Bridge in Vadodara’s Padra collapsed on Wednesday morning, resulting in the death of at least nine people.

Vehicles Plunged into River After Bridge Gave Way

According to officials, five vehicles—including two trucks, an SUV, a pickup van, and an auto-rickshaw—fell into the Mahisagar River when a portion of the bridge gave way. Superintendent of Police (Vadodara rural) Rohan Anand confirmed the recovery of nine bodies while stating that 9–10 others were rescued. Rescue operations are still underway, with fears that the toll could rise.

Congress Calls Out Negligence, Alleges Corruption

The Congress party called the incident a “tragic” one and claimed residents had long warned about the bridge’s structural issues. “Before the accident, a lot of money was spent to repair the bridge, but it still collapsed,” the party said. Accusing the BJP of corruption, it claimed, “This is why contractors do not do their work properly… such incidents have occurred in Gujarat, for which BJP’s corruption is responsible.”

Opposition Calls for Accountability

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi offered her condolences and urged the people of Gujarat to “protest against such shoddy work” and demand accountability from the government and contracted agencies. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) also slammed the ruling party, pointing to the 2022 Morbi bridge tragedy and questioning, “Is this an Act of God, or an ACT OF FRAUD?”

The TMC also took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of being absent during domestic crises. “We won’t wait for an answer because he’s too busy gallivanting abroad, doing dance drills and PR stunts in Namibia on public money,” it said.

TMC MP Mahua Moitra added, “No action has been taken for bridge and road collapses, train collisions, derailments in Gujarat… but BJP state governments are busy obsessing over eatery names and targeting Bengali workers.”

“Gujarat Model Is Hollow,” Says Congress

Congress leader Supriya Shrinate echoed the criticism, stating, “The hollow ‘Gujarat Model’ is another name for corruption,” while also expressing sympathy for the victims’ families.

PM Modi Expresses Condolences, Announces Relief

Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the incident as “deeply saddening” and announced ex-gratia compensation of ₹2 lakh each to the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 for those injured, from the PM National Relief Fund.