NEW DELHI:
Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi
has alleged that there may be a
conspiracy
behind the recent spate of
bridge collapses in Bihar
, suggesting an attempt to defame the BJP-led state government. Over the past week, five bridges have collapsed in different districts, including Araria, Siwan, East Champaran, Kishanganj, and Madhubani.
Manjhi, who also heads the
Hindustani Awam Morcha
(HAM), expressed his concerns during a press briefing on Saturday.
"It is a matter of concern that bridges are collapsing in Bihar. It looks as if
poor-quality material
might have been used. But why were the bridges not collapsing 15 days or a month ago? Why are they collapsing now? Is there a conspiracy behind it?" he questioned.
He suggested that these incidents might be deliberate actions aimed at tarnishing the government's reputation. "These things are being done on purpose to tarnish the image of the government. Bridges are collapsing continuously, I think this is happening on purpose," he said as quoted ANI.
However, Manjhi also acknowledged the issue of
sub-standard construction materials
being used by contractors, which could be contributing to the collapses. "The state government is taking strict action against the contractors and engineers responsible for the collapsed bridges. The authorities are probing the matter and I also request them to investigate the conspiracy angle," he added.
The former chief minister emphasized the need for thorough investigations and stringent measures to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future. "The government will make sure that this does not happen again," he assured.
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