Former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Friday accused Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of widespread corruption, citing the collapse of 10 bridges in the state within 15 days and the recent paper leak scandal.
Speaking at the RJD’s foundation day event, Tejashwi challenged the JD(U), which has been ruling Bihar for the past 17 years, to release details of the officials involved in the sanctioning and construction of the collapsed bridges to expose the corrupt practices.
“The people of JD(U) are blaming me for every bridge collapse. I dare the Nitish Kumar government to arrest me if I am responsible for this mess,” he stated. “People say there is a double-engine government in Bihar. In the past 20 days, more than a dozen bridges have collapsed. Numerous train accidents have occurred, and crime is at its peak. Despite these issues, no one from the government is ready to speak. When questioned, they claim that Tejashwi is behind all this. If I am causing the paper leaks and bridge collapses, then arrest me,” the RJD leader added.
Tejashwi further challenged Nitish Kumar and the BJP to provide details on who sanctioned and laid the foundation stones for the bridges that have now collapsed. “For the last 17 years, the Rural Development Department has been with JD(U). I challenge the CM or BJP leaders to release details about who sanctioned and laid the foundation stone of the collapsed bridges. This will reveal who is truly corrupt,” he said.
The RJD is celebrating 28 years of its foundation today, having been established on July 5, 1997. Over the past 15 days, Bihar has witnessed the collapse of 10 bridges, raising serious concerns about infrastructure safety and maintenance. On Thursday, a bridge in Bihar’s Saran district collapsed, marking the 10th such incident in just over a fortnight.
In June, five bridges in the districts of Araria, Siwan, East Champaran, Kishanganj, and Madhubani collapsed. On June 22, a 40-45-year-old bridge over the Gandak River in Siwan fell. The next day, a bridge under construction in East Champaran, costing around Rs 1.5 crore, collapsed, with locals attributing the failure to the use of substandard materials. Additionally, on June 18, a newly constructed bridge over the Bakra River in Pararia village of Araria district also collapsed.
