'A collapsed part built in 2009…': Union civil aviation minister as opposition slams PM Modi for 'rushed inauguration'

The Delhi airport roof collapse, which left one person dead and eight injured, is a very serious incident and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the aviation regulator, will look into the matter in depth, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said after inspecting the collapsed structure.

I would like to clarify that the building inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on the other side and the building which collapsed here is an old building and was inaugurated in 2009, the Union Minister said .

The minister's clarification came in response to claims by Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge and party chief Priyanka Gandhi Vadras that the terminal concerned was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Corruption and criminal negligence are responsible for the collapse of shoddy infrastructure falling like a pack of cards in the last 10 years of the Modi government, Kharge wrote in an article on X (formerly Twitter). On March 10, when Modi ji inaugurated T1 of Delhi airport, it was called “Doosri mitti ka insaan… Our sincere condolences to the victims of the Delhi airport tragedy. They bore the weight of a corrupt, incompetent and selfish government, read his post.

He also listed other alleged cases of shoddy infrastructure under Prime Minister Modi in his message.

Other opposition leaders also criticized Prime Minister Modi for the roof collapse incident. Opposition leaders accused Modi of hastily inaugurating an incomplete terminal to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections.

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh tweeted: “March 11, 2024, as part of his election campaign, if I remember correctly, during his inauguration frenzy. »

National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah criticised Prime Minister Modi's inauguration of the expanded Terminal 1 of Delhi airport, saying it was incomplete.

Trinamool Congress leader Saket Gokhale claimed that Prime Minister Modi hurriedly inaugurated the expanded Terminal 1 for the election campaign.

Why should PM Modi not be charged with culpable homicide? He is directly responsible for the deaths of three people who lost their lives because Modi was desperate to campaign, he tweeted.

On March 10, Prime Minister Modi inaugurated or laid the foundation stone of 15 airport projects across the country worth over Rs 9,800 crore. Among these projects, the expanded Terminal 1 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi was inaugurated.

The Union civil minister also said that a national audit of such structures at airports will be carried out. “A security audit is underway and T1 is fully cleared at present due to security concerns. Operations are expected to resume tomorrow morning after the security audit is cleared,” the Minister of Defense added. 'civil Aviation.

We express our condolences over the lives lost in this tragic incident. We immediately sent the emergency response team, fire safety team along with CISF and NDRF teams. Everyone was available at the site and they conducted a thorough inspection so that there was no further casualty, the minister added.

Kinjarapu also announced a compensation of Rs 20 lakh for the deceased and Rs 3 lakh for the injured in response to the Delhi airport incident.

The canopy and a huge metal beam at the pick-up and drop-off area outside Terminal 1 of Delhi airport collapsed this morning amid heavy rains.

Government sources said the construction of the affected roof was contracted out to private contractors by GMR Airports Limited.

The incident took place as Delhi recorded 228.1 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours, one of the wettest periods the capital has recorded in June. Several areas of the national capital were flooded, affecting normal life and traffic was disrupted with visuals showing vehicles submerged under various flyovers.