Key Points

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut criticized the Mahayuti government after the Indrayani bridge collapse, calling it a "panauti" administration. He demanded Ajit Pawar take responsibility as Pune's guardian minister. Four people died and 51 were injured, with survivors describing a chaotic crowd leading to the collapse. PM Modi and CM Fadnavis coordinated rescue efforts while Raut questioned corruption in infrastructure projects.

Key Points: Sanjay Raut Blames Ajit Pawar for Indrayani Bridge Collapse Calls Govt Panauti

  • Raut blames Ajit Pawar for Indrayani bridge collapse
  • 4 dead, 51 injured in tragic incident
  • Survivor recalls crowd led to collapse
  • PM Modi speaks to CM Fadnavis for rescue updates
3 min read

Indrayani bridge collapse: Sanjay Raut slams Mahayuti govt, calls it 'panauti'; asks Ajit Pawar to take responsibility

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut slams Mahayuti govt over Pune bridge collapse, demands Ajit Pawar take responsibility as guardian minister.

"Ajit Pawar is the guardian minister of Pune, so will he take responsibility for the accident? - Sanjay Raut"

Mumbai, June 16

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday slammed the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra for the Indrayani River bridge collapse in Pune and asked Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar whether he would take responsibility for the accident, as he is the guardian minister of Pune.

"Ajit Pawar is the guardian minister of Pune, so will he take responsibility for the accident?" Raut said in a press conference here.

Four people were killed when an old bridge over the Indrayani River collapsed.

He also criticised the Maharashtra government over the daily accidents occurring since it came to power, calling it a "cursed government" (Panauti Sarkar).

He also raised concerns about the demolition of a platform (chabutra) near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue in Malvan. Referring to an event held there a few months ago, Raut questioned whether corruption was involved.

Meanwhile, following the death of four people in the Indrayani River bridge collapse incident, one of the survivors, who was injured, recalled that there was a huge crowd which had gathered at one place on the bridge, leading to its collapse.

Speaking to ANI, the man recalled that the people standing in the middle of the bridge were swept away in the Indrayani River.

"There was a huge crowd on the bridge. The road was jammed due to vehicles coming from both sides. The crowd gathered at one place, and the bridge collapsed. People standing in the middle of the bridge were swept away. We fell on the stones and got injured," he said.

Maval Tahsildar Vikram Deshmukh said, "The injured are being treated in the hospital. We have not received any complaints of missing people. Four people have died in the incident."

According to District Collector Jitendra Dudi, the tragic incident occurred at 3:15 pm on Sunday, and rescue teams were alerted by 3:30 pm.

Speaking to ANI, Dudi said, "A total of 51 people are injured and admitted to different hospitals, taking treatment, and four individuals have died. Three were identified as Chandrakant Salve, Rohit Mane, and Vihaan Mane, and one was male but unidentified."

He added, "A team of about 250 people immediately came here. The rescue operation started, and so far we have rescued about 38 people." Dudi confirmed that search operations were ongoing, as two people were still unaccounted for.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who reached Cyprus, spoke to CM Fadnavis to take stock of the ongoing rescue and relief operations.

The Chief Minister expressed deep sorrow over the incident and said he is in constant touch with senior officials, including the Divisional Commissioner, District Collector, Superintendent of Police, and Tehsildar.

"It was very sad to hear the news of the accident in which a bridge over the Indrayani river collapsed at Indori near Talegaon in Pune district. According to preliminary information, two people have died in this incident. I pay my heartfelt tributes to them. We share the grief of their families," Fadnavis said in a post on X.

He added, "I am in constant touch with the Divisional Commissioner, District Collector, Superintendent of Police and the concerned Tehsildar regarding this incident. As some people have been swept away, a search is being carried out for them. NDRF has been deployed at the spot. Relief work has been given immediate impetus...all the agencies have been ordered to be put on alert mode...they have been admitted to the hospital for treatment."

- ANI

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Reader Comments

Here are 6 diverse Indian perspective comments for the news article:
R
Rajesh K.
This is so tragic! Bridges collapsing in Pune of all places shows complete negligence by authorities. Why wasn't this old bridge inspected regularly? Politicians will keep blaming each other but who will answer to the families who lost their loved ones? 😔
P
Priya M.
While Sanjay Raut's criticism is valid, calling the government "panauti" is unnecessary. We need constructive solutions, not name-calling. The focus should be on fixing our crumbling infrastructure across Maharashtra. How many more lives must we lose?
A
Amit S.
The survivor's account is heartbreaking. Crowd management is as much to blame as poor bridge maintenance. Our authorities never learn from past tragedies. Remember the Elphinstone Road stampede? Same story - negligence and lack of foresight.
S
Sunita R.
Instead of political mudslinging, all parties should come together to help victims' families. The CM's response seems prompt, but action after tragedy isn't enough. We need preventive measures! ₹500 crore for statues but no money for bridge safety?
V
Vikram J.
As a civil engineer, this makes me furious! Bridges don't collapse suddenly - there are always warning signs. Corrupt contractors + lazy inspections = disasters like this. Time for mandatory structural audits of all bridges older than 20 years across India.
N
Neha T.
My heart goes out to the victims' families. But can we stop making everything political? Whether BJP, Shiv Sena or NCP - all have failed Maharashtra's infrastructure. Maybe instead of changing governments, we need to change the system itself. #AccountabilityMatters

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