'Why ED, CBI Not Taking Action': Mamata Demands SC-Monitored Judicial Probe Into Morbi Bridge Collapse

The TMC supremo said she would not engage in politics over the incident as lives of people were involved, however, she said that accountability must be fixed.

New Delhi: Launching a veiled attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Gujarat’s Morbi bridge collapse, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday demanded a judicial panel under the Supreme Court be formed to probe the incident and questioned why agencies like Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate haven’t taken any action against those responsible for the accident.

Speaking to the media at Kolkata airport before leaving for Chennai to meet her Tamil Nadu counterpart MK Stalin, the TMC supremo said she would not engage in politics over the incident as lives of people were involved, however, she said that accountability must be fixed.

CM Banerjee criticised the role of the Gujarat government in the tragic incident but declined to take any question on Prime Minister Narendra Modi "because it is his state".

Banerjee also slammed the BJP-led Centre for trying to weaken the Bengal government by using agencies like CBI and ED.

She hinted that at her meeting with Stalin, that is scheduled for evening, she may discuss political issues and collaboration with other regional parties.

Terming her meeting as a ‘courtesy call’, Banerjee said “When two politicians meet, some politics are always discussed.”

“I trust all the regional parties... they are going to play an important role in the 2024 elections,” news agency PTI quoted the Bengal Chief Minister as saying.

Mamata Banerjee may also meet several top politicians of Tamil Nadu, who are expected to be present at West Bengal Governor La Ganesan's family function.

Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday held a high-level meeting on the Morbi bridge collapse tragedy that killed at least 136 people. During the meeting, PM Modi said a "detailed and extensive" inquiry to identify all aspects relating to the Morbi bridge collapse is the need of the hour.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Gujarat's Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi, who holds the rank of minister of state, were also present in the meeting.

It is to be noted that a century-old suspension bridge over the Machchhu river in Gujarat’s Morbi city collapsed on Sunday evening, claiming the lives of 136 people.