PM Modi visits Morbi, visits victims’ families; #ModiGoBack trends on Twitter

Today saw Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting the location in the Morbi town of Gujarat where a hanging bridge that spans the Machchhu river collapsed two days ago, killing more than 130 people and wounding many more.

Bhupendra Patel, the chief minister, was with him. The PM also spoke with people who participated in the rescue and relief efforts after the accident in Morbi and then he met people at the neighbourhood hospital.

Hindustan Times reported that the Morbi civil hospital is now treating more than 100 patients. On the third day, relief and rescue efforts are being made.

While the search and rescue effort is taking place in the Machchhu river, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel visit the scene of the incident in Morbi, Gujarat.

According to reports, the hospital was cleaned in advance of the PM’s arrival. Social media images of the cleanup have gone viral, sparking a debate.

135 individuals have died as a result of the pedestrian suspension bridge collapse thus far. In this case, nine individuals have been taken into custody. The company responsible for the maintenance work, Oreva, also known for making Ajanta clocks has been under fire for a ‘callous approach.

On Monday, a complaint was made against the companies in charge of the upkeep and maintenance of the British-era building. One of the companies’ owners is reportedly missing.

The bridge’s cables snapped in a matter of seconds just before it collapsed that evening, throwing dozens of tourists into the river.

The bridge reopened five days after the extensive repair work, however, a fitness certificate was given to the bridge.

‘Go_Back_Modi’ vs ‘GujaratWithModiJi’ trend on Twitter

Ahead of the Prime Minister’s to the ground zero in Morbi, Twitter saw competing hashtags of #Go_Back_Modi and #GujaratWithModiJi trending on the top today. Twitter’s tracking page indicates that as of 2:30 p.m., the latter is in sixth place with more than 15,300 tweets, while the former is in 25th place (after reaching a high of third) with more than 20,000 tweets.

The Prime Minister stated on Monday that he has “rarely felt this grief” and that his “heart is full of hurt.”

In several tweets with the hashtag, #GoBackModi has criticised the prime minister for allegedly using the calamity to score brownie points.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, which is in power, has come under fire from the opposition Congress and Aam Aadmi Party for prioritising Prime Minister Modi’s visit over the needs of the injured.

In light of documents that suggested hurried repairs and the reopening of the bridge without fitness certificates, the opposition has also criticized the BJP for selecting a certain business to renovate the bridge built during the British era.