The Maharashtra Congress has held the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led coalition government responsible for the recent Indrayani bridge collapse in Pune district, terming it a 'man-made tragedy born of negligence' and demanding a high-level inquiry and a case of culpable homicide against officials involved.
State Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal criticised the administration for allowing the bridge to remain open, despite its known structural weaknesses and heavy tourist footfall during the monsoon season. “The deaths on the Indrayani bridge are not mere accidents—they are the result of government inaction,” Mr Sapkal says in a statement.
He questioned why the bridge at Kundmala, near Lonavala, which reportedly had funding sanctioned over a year ago, was still in a dilapidated condition. “Was the government waiting for a tragedy to occur before taking action?” he asked.
According to officials, the old iron bridge collapsed while tourists were visiting the area during heavy rains. Fifty-five people were swept away in the river, with four confirmed dead and six seriously injured. Many were rescued by emergency services.
The administration claimed a warning board had been installed on the bridge, but Mr Sapkal dismissed this as insufficient and indicative of a 'lax attitude'.
“No warning board can excuse the government’s failure to shut down a known hazard,” he says. “Giving Rs5 lakh to the relatives of the deceased does not absolve the government of its duty. Accountability must go beyond compensation—culpable homicide charges must be filed against those responsible.”
Mr Sapkal also hit out at deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde’s direction for a structural audit of bridges in the aftermath of the accident. “This is nothing but an eyewash. The pattern is predictable—an accident happens, a few lives are lost, the government announces an audit, some money is given, and then everything is forgotten. This vicious cycle must be broken.”
The Congress state chief also levelled serious allegations of corruption in the construction of the recently reinstalled statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot Fort which, he says, had already developed visible damage. “The pedestal of the statue has developed a gaping hole within just a month of its inauguration. This exposes the substandard quality of construction,” he claimed.
The statue was unveiled by chief minister (CM) Devendra Fadnavis on 11 May 2025, following the collapse of an earlier version that had been inaugurated by prime minister (PM) Narendra Modi in December 2024. That statue, Mr Sapkal recalled, fell within eight months due to alleged corruption and faulty design.
“Despite public outrage and the replacement of the original statue, corruption seems to have tainted even this effort. The pedestal now shows visible damage, raising serious concerns about the quality of materials and oversight,” he says.
He accused the BJP-led grand alliance of allowing corruption to seep even into the monuments of national icons. “The legacy of great men like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is being defiled by shoddy, corrupt practices. The worm of corruption has even been planted in the feet of our heroes,” Mr Sapkal said.
The Maharashtra Congress chief has demanded an urgent investigation into both incidents—the Indrayani bridge collapse and the damaged Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue—arguing that both reflect a deeper governance crisis.
“These are not isolated events. Whether it is public infrastructure or heritage monuments, the government’s failure to uphold basic standards is endangering lives and disrespecting our history,” Mr Sapkal says.
He reiterated that only strict punishment and real accountability would deter such negligence in the future. “Until responsibility is fixed and action is taken, we will continue to see such tragedies and disrespect,” he says.
