Monday, 01 July 2024
Monday, 01 July 2024
A portion of the roof at Delhi airport's Terminal 1 collapsed on Friday morning, killing at least one person and injuring many others. An official of GMR, which runs the airport, told The Telegraph Online that the the expansion of the terminal was in its last lap and that the portion that collapsed is a 15-year-old structure, part of the old departure terminal. It soon sparked a war of words, with politicians of all hues trading allegations. Here's a quick list of who said what:
K Rammohan Naidu
Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu announced a thorough inspection of Delhi Airport's collapsed structure, supervised by DGCA. The minister said, the structure, opened in 2009, will be inspected by DIAL. He added, compensation of Rs 20 lakh will be given to the deceased's family and Rs 3 lakh to the injured.
Murlidhar Mohol
Minister Murlidhar Mohol said he inspected the site of the roof collapse and PM Narendra Modi is closely monitoring the situation. He said, all other airports will undergo a detailed structural inspection.
Aditya Thackeray
Aditya Thackeray, the young Shiv Sena (UBT) leader, was scathing in his attack on the Modi government over the airport disaster: "The civil aviation ministry dusting its hands off the roof collapse at the Delhi Airport is shameful! Are they saying they haven’t done maintenance and checks for the past 10 years? For all that advertising about Vikasit Bharat, right from Ayodhya to Centra Vista to the Delhi airport and the Pragati Maidan Tunnel…more could have done on the work than the advertising," he posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Mallikarjun Kharge
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge was equally scathing, attributing the incident to "corruption and criminal negligence" under the Modi administration. He criticised the government's penchant for "ribbon-cutting ceremonies before elections," alleging that such incidents reveal the inadequacy and recklessness of infrastructure development over the past decade.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra of the Congress questioned the prime minister's accountability for "substandard construction works marked by corruption." Her rhetorical question -- "Is the veil finally lifting from BJP’s chanda lo, chanda lo corruption model?" -- underscored the party's narrative of pervasive corruption in the Modi administration.
Asaduddin Owaisi
The collapse at Terminal 1 isn't just a local issue; it symbolises broader concerns about infrastructure integrity across India, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said, emphasising the need for a detailed investigation by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
Jasmine Shah
Jasmine Shah of AAP highlighted the human cost of the incident, noting that "around eight people have been injured and one was killed." He stressed the importance of the central government’s accountability, given the Airports Authority of India's oversight.
