The incident occurred around 3.30 pm when hundreds had gathered on the bridge to enjoy the rain (Express Photo)Amid speculation of his party cosying up to the BJP ahead of the civic polls after he met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis last week, MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Monday took on the BJP-led Mahayuti government over the bridge collapse on the Indrayani river at Talegaon in Pune district that left four dead and several injured.“If this bridge was dangerous then why was it not completely closed to the public? Why was it not demolished and a new bridge built to replace it,” Thackeray asked.After every accident, he said, “there is a typical response from the state government that “rescue work is underway and the state government is with the affected people. But why do these incidents happen?”“There are so many departments in the government but what do they do,” said Thackeray, adding, “Can they inspect the bridges ahead of monsoon and repair or close them if they are in a dangerous condition. Why those in power for long can’t get the work done? What is the use of being in power then?”The MNS chief said people should be alert and should not visit dangerous spots. “This does not mean the state government’s responsibility is less. People have to be alert if the state government is negligent in their duty,” he said.State Congress chief Harshvardhan Sapkal said the deaths due to the collapse of the bridge over the Indrayani river took place because of the government’s negligence. “Why was the bridge, declared unsafe, still open when it was known that hundreds of tourists would visit Kundamala during the monsoon,” he asked.He demanded that the government fix responsibility and file a case of culpable homicide against the officials concerned.Story continues below this adSapkal said the government said funds were approved for repairing the bridge a year ago. “Then why was the work not done for a year? Was the government waiting for an accident to happen? The administration said a ‘board’ declaring it unsafe was installed on that bridge but because of their lax attitude 55 tourists were swept away. While most were rescued, four were killed and six seriously injured. Who is responsible for this? Giving Rs 5 lakh each to the relatives of the deceased does not mean the government’s responsibility ends there,” he said.After the accident, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has ordered a structural audit of all dangerous bridges, Sapkal said, adding “this is just a farce. Accidents happen, people die and the government gives them some money and forgets about it, this vicious cycle should be stopped.”Ajay Jadhav is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, Pune. He writes on Infrastructure, Politics, Civic issues, Sustainable Development and related stuff. He is a trekker and a sports enthusiast. Ajay has written research articles on the Conservancy staff that created a nationwide impact in framing policy to improve the condition of workers handling waste. Ajay has been consistently writing on politics and infrastructure. He brought to light the lack of basic infrastructure of school and hospital in the hometown of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde even as two private helipads were developed by the leader who mostly commutes from Mumbai to Satara in helicopter. Ajay has been reporting on sustainable development initiatives that protects the environment while ensuring infrastructure development. ... Read MoreClick here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:pune