PM, CM Patel cancel, defer events after Morbi mishap

The PM was scheduled to virtually address the page committee members of Gujarat BJP from Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar on the occasion of Diwali on November 1.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and MoS Home Harsh Sanghavi, at the Morbi Civil hospital meeting survivors of the Jhoolta Pul collapse incident. (Express)

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel cancelled all his remaining programmes for the day and rushed to Morbi following the Jhulto Pool (shaking bridge) collapse that left more than 60 dead Sunday evening. In addition, at least two programmes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in Gujarat on a three-day tour, were also deferred or cancelled following the mishap.

“Canceling all my next programmes for today, I am leaving to reach Morbi. Reaching the spot in person, I will do direct monitoring of the situation and necessary coordination with administration,” CM Patel tweeted soon after the news of the bridge collapse.

Morbi bridge collapse | Follow Live updates

A party release stated that the roadshow has been cancelled and the PM will only attend the function to inaugurate the projects. (Express)

The PM was scheduled to virtually address the page committee members of Gujarat BJP from Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar on the occasion of Diwali on November 1. However, a party statement stated that the programme–which was to be held at all 182 assembly constituencies of the state–has been postponed.

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In photos | Morbi bridge collapse: CM, NDRF, Army at site as rescue ops continue

Similarly, the PM was to carry out a roadshow in the Asarva area of Ahmedabad before inaugurating some projects of Indian Railways Monday. A party release stated that the roadshow has been cancelled and the PM will only attend the function to inaugurate the projects. “The inauguration function will also be held in a simple manner without any garlanding, etc. It is possible that the PM may not deliver any public speech there owing to the Morbi tragedy,” stated a party office bearer.

The Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) which was scheduled to begin its Parivartan Sankalp Yatra from Monday, has put it off by a day, and instead its leaders- Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, former Madhya Pradesh CM Digvijay Singh and others will visit the survivors, spokesperson Manish Doshi said in a late night statement.

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