Amid blame game over Delhi airport canopy collapse, BJP shares ‘proof’ of 2009 construction

New Delhi, June 28 (IANS) Amid an uproar over the canopy and metal beam collapse at the pick-up and drop-off point at Delhi airport’s Terminal 1, which killed one person and injured six, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu told newsmen on Friday that it was constructed and inaugurated in 2008-09 when the Congress-led UPA government was in power.

Now, further evidence has surfaced, corroborating the claims by the Aviation Minister.

The canopy collapse at Delhi airport resulted in a political blame game, with the Congress accusing the BJP dispensation of ‘promoting low-quality infrastructure’ and compromising the nation’s resources.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said that the incident exposes tall claims of the Prime Minister and also the BJP’s promise of creating ‘world-class infrastructure’.

Now, a couple of newspaper clippings and videos from 2009 have surfaced which show that the structure ‘did suffer damage’ soon after its inauguration.

BJP IT cell chief, Amit Malviya took to X and shared some news articles dating back to 2009, reporting about the government’s enquiry into damage at the airport’s Terminal 1.

“The Terminal 1 was built and operationalised in 2009 and was of sub-optimal workmanship, as it couldn’t withstand the downpour. The first enquiry was ordered in 2009 itself,” he said.

Malviya further stated that despite the structure getting built and damaged during the Congress-led UPA’s rule, it has the “audacity to blame the BJP.”

Some news video clips from 2009 have also gone viral on social media, which show a portion getting damaged due to rains.

The news clipping (dating back to July 29, 2009) shows rain water leaking out of the structure and a portion caving in.

The evidence linking Terminal 1 with UPA also ‘nails the lies’ of Kharge and Priyanka Gandhi who reportedly claimed that this was recently inaugurated by PM Modi.

Earlier, the Civil Aviation Minister also dismissed the ‘misinformation’ by Congress leaders and told newsmen that not Terminal 1 but some other building of the airport was inaugurated by PM Modi, sometime ago.

— IANS

mr/rad