Morbi Hospital 'Painted' Ahead of PM Modi's Visit; Congress, AAP Hit Out At BJP

“Morbi Civil Hospital is being painted overnight so that the poor condition does not get exposed,” AAP alleged.

Morbi: People gather at the site during a rescue operation after the collapse of a suspension bridge over the Machchhu river, in Morbi district, Monday, Oct. 31, 2022.

(Photo: PTI)

Purported images and videos of the civil hospital being revamped ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit on Tuesday, 1 November to Morbi –where at least 135 people died as a suspension bridge collapsed on Sunday, 30 October – have led to the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) charging at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Gujarat.

Sharing the purported images on Twitter, the Congress hit out at the BJP saying, “They are not ashamed. So many people have lost their lives, and all they care about is the event.”

“Tomorrow, PM Modi will visit the civil hospital in Morbi. Before that the work of painting and renovation is going on there. Glazed tiles are being put up. All arrangements are being made to ensure that PM Modi’s picture should not fall short on anything.”

At least 135 people, including 56 minors, lost their lives after the suspension cable bridge over Machchhu river in Morbi, collapsed on Sunday. Meanwhile, 93 people are seriously injured and are undergoing treatment.

Meanwhile, in a video shared by AAP on Twitter, workers can be seen painting the walls of what the party claims is Morbi’s Civil Hospital.

In a tweet in Hindi, the party alleged, “Morbi Civil Hospital is being painted overnight so that the poor condition of the building does not get exposed tomorrow during PM Modi’s photoshoot.”

“141 people have died, many are missing, no action has been taken on the real culprits, but the BJP is interested in painting over the issue for a photoshoot,” the party said in Hindi.

Nine officials of the Gujarat-based Oreva group have been arrested by the police for the Morbi suspension bridge collapse, police sources confirmed to The Quint. The company was in charge of repairing the bridge.

Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi said that a First Information Report (FIR) was lodged under IPC sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 308 (intentional act causing death) and 114 (abettor present when offence committed).