The Congress has demanded the immediate resignation of Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi following a series of bridge collapses across the state, the latest being the tragic failure of the Gambhira Bridge in Vadodara district, which has resulted in 15 confirmed fatalities and three people still missing.
At a press briefing held at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in New Delhi, Gujarat Congress MLA Jignesh Mevani and Congress Seva Dal Chairman Lalji Desai levelled serious allegations against the state government, claiming repeated negligence and deep-rooted corruption within both the political leadership and bureaucratic machinery.&nbsp;
The party also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, both native to Gujarat, on their silence regarding the mounting infrastructure disasters in the state.
Mevani alleged that despite multiple warnings from locals about the deteriorating condition of the Gambhira Bridge&mdash;built in 1985 and spanning the Mahisagar River&mdash;no preventive measures were taken. &ldquo;People living nearby repeatedly flagged the dangers of the bridge collapsing. But the warnings were ignored by a corrupt government that enjoys the support of an equally complicit bureaucracy,&rdquo; he said.
He further claimed that when the bridge collapsed early Wednesday morning, emergency assistance was delayed, leaving local fishermen to conduct the first rescue attempts. &ldquo;It took the administration close to an hour to begin operations. By then, it was too late for many,&rdquo; Mevani added.
Calling attention to what he described as a pattern of neglect, Mevani stated that the Gambhira incident is part of a broader failure, with at least 16 similar incidents recorded in Gujarat over the past four years. He challenged Chief Minister Patel to name a single individual who has faced legal consequences for any of these disasters.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Even the main accused in the Morbi bridge collapse, which killed 130 people, is freely walking around,&rdquo; he said. He also accused the Home Minister of obstructing justice, alleging that although FIRs and charge sheets were filed in many cases, no real action has followed. &ldquo;This is why his resignation is not just necessary, it&rsquo;s urgent,&rdquo; Mevani insisted.
Speaking at the same conference, Lalji Desai stated that bridge collapses are far more widespread than reported, alleging that nearly every district and tehsil in Gujarat has witnessed such incidents. &ldquo;Only 16 made it to the headlines, but the problem is statewide,&rdquo; he said.
Desai blamed what he described as a &ldquo;corrupt ecosystem,&rdquo; in which politicians and bureaucrats allegedly share bribes in a 20:20 arrangement&mdash;each taking a 20% cut from public works contracts. &ldquo;This isn&rsquo;t just about bridges. The entire so-called Gujarat Model of governance has collapsed. It has now turned into the &lsquo;Modani Model&rsquo;,&rdquo; he remarked, accusing blacklisted contractors of securing state tenders through illicit payments.
Following the collapse of the Gambhira Bridge, search and rescue efforts were launched by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and other emergency units.&nbsp;
Vadodara District Collector Anil Dhameliya confirmed the current toll and noted the difficulties posed by weather and terrain. &ldquo;So far, we have recovered 15 bodies. Three people are still missing. Mud and continuous rainfall are hampering the rescue. We are building a temporary bridge to retrieve submerged vehicles,&rdquo; he said.
Efforts to locate the missing are extending up to four kilometres downstream. Dhameliya added, &ldquo;We have retrieved a pickup van and an Eeco car. Heavy machinery is being used to recover the trucks. I&rsquo;m personally overseeing operations with the support of local residents.&rdquo;
Officials have registered an accidental death case based on a complaint by Arjunsinh Padhiar, a resident of Dariyapura village near Mujpur. Forensic teams will examine what remains of the structure once the rescue mission concludes. Authorities are also gathering statements from eyewitnesses, survivors, and family members of the victims.
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Congress Vs BJP Over Gambhira Bridge Collapse

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Congress Seeks Gujarat CM, HM Exit Over Bridge Collapse

Congress blames corruption for Gujarat bridge tragedies, demands high-level probe and resignations.

July 11, 2025 | 24:43 IST