Tejashwi jabs Modi, Nitish over Bihar bridge collapses; PIL filed in Supreme Court: 'Auspicious corruption'

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday, criticising their silence over the frequent incidents of bridge collapses in the state.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Nitish Kumar are completely silent and speechless on these achievements. They are thinking about how to convert this auspicious corruption into Jungle Raj?” Tejashwi Yadav said on X in Hindi with a hint of sarcasm.

Tejashwi, who served as Nitish Kumar's deputy in the previous Mahagathbandhan-led state government, took a dig at ruling NDA workers and media for singing paeans of morality and good governance while attacking the opposition for what they describe as ‘Jungle Raj’. The RJD leader accused them of killing their conscience and wearing the 'blanket of silence' on these “misdeeds of good governance.”

On Thursday, another bridge collapsed in the Saran district, making it the 10th such incident to have been reported from Bihar in just over a fortnight. This incident follows two more bridge collapses in Saran within 24 hours, occurring in the Janta Bazar and Lahladpur areas.

"A high-level probe has been ordered to find out the reason for the collapse of these small bridges in the district," District Magistrate Aman Samir said.

Incidents of bridge collapse have been also reported in Bihar's Siwan, Madhubani, Araria, East Champaran and Kishanganj districts in over a fortnight.

Read: Nitin Gadkari clarifies after bridge ready to be inaugurated collapses in Bihar's Araria

A PIL has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking directions to the Bihar government to undertake a structural audit and set up an expert committee to identify bridges that can be either strengthened or demolished based on the findings.

The PIL, filed by advocate and petitioner Brajesh Singh, raised concerns about the safety and longevity of the bridges in the state that witnesses floods and heavy rains during monsoon.

Besides setting up a high-level expert panel, it also sought real-time monitoring of the bridges as per the parameters of the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

Nitish Kumar on Wednesday directed the road construction and rural works departments to conduct a survey of all old bridges in the state and identify those that require immediate repair.