Congress launched a scathing attack on the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led government on Monday, alleging "sub-standard construction" of the Mahakal Lok corridor and accusing them of corruption. The criticism came in the wake of the collapse of six of the 'Saptarishis' installed at the corridor due to gusty winds, resulting in damage. Fortunately, despite a significant number of visitors present at the site, no injuries were reported. The incident occurred around 4 pm on Sunday, prompting the closure of the facility for a few hours, according to an official who spoke to PTI.
Congress Demands Restoration And Probe
State Congress chief Kamal Nath took to Twitter to share his views on the collapse of the idols and took a jibe at the ruling BJP. He wrote, "I demand from the chief minister that the idols be restored immediately. The sub-standard construction should be probed and the people involved in it should be punished."
Former Congress MP chief Arun Yadav, while talking to PTI, said, "The BJP government is not even sparing Gods, and this incident at the Mahakal Lok corridor smacks of corruption."
What Went Down?
Six out of the seven idols of the 'Saptarishis' placed at the Mahakal Lok corridor collapsed on Sunday due to gusty winds and suffered damage.
Ujjain Collector Kumar Purshottam, while talking to PTI, said, "There are a total of 160 idols installed at the Mahakal Lok corridor. Out of them, six idols of 'Saptarishis' (seven sages) that were around 10 feet tall fell down around 4 p.m. as strong winds swept through the area."
Another official said, "The corridor is spread across around one kilometre. When the idols collapsed, the premises were packed with visitors, but nobody was injured in the incident."
Mahakal Lok Corridor
The Mahakal Lok corridor, developed on the premises of the Mahakaleshwar temple in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain city, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a part of the first phase of the project in October last year. The total cost of the Mahakal Lok project is Rs 856 crore, with the first phase costing Rs 351 crore. It is said to be one of the longest in the country. It traverses the old Rudrasagar Lake, which was revived as a part of the Mahakaleshwar temple's redevelopment project.
The corridor, which is more than 900 meters long, features 200 statues and murals of Lord Shiva and goddess Shakti, as well as about 108 aesthetically ornate pillars made of finely carved sandstone that display the Anand Tandav Swaroop (a form of Lord Shiva's dance).