‘Govt Not Taking Measures To Stop Accidents’: Uddhav Thackeray On Samruddhi Expressway Incident

Shiv Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray and party leader Sanjay Raut hit out at the Eknath Shinde-led government for "not doing anything" to prevent accidents on the Samruddhi Expressway.

Shiv Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday expressed grief over the loss of lives in a bus tragedy in Maharashtra's Buldhana, in which 25 passengers were charred to death after the bus they were travelling in caught fire. Thackeray hit out at the Eknath Shinde-led government for "not doing anything" to prevent accidents on the Samruddhi Expressway. In a tweet, he paid tribute to the victims of the unfortunate incident and said the accident in Buldhana should open the eyes of the government. 

Describing the incident as shocking, he further claimed that in the last year, such accidents have continued on this highway, which has killed more than 300 passengers so far.

He further said, “The government has not planned any measures to prevent accidents. At least the accident in Buldhana should open the eyes of the government.”

Meanwhile, Uddhav Thackeray faction leader and MP Sanjay Raut also reacted strongly over the incident and said the accident that took place today on the Samruddhi highway is extremely disheartening. He also blamed the government is not taking adequate measures to stop such accidents on the  Samruddhi Expressway.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said that the Road construction is not the cause of the accident on the Samruddhi highway. Earlier on Saturday, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis visited the accident site on the Samruddhi Mahamarg expressway. 

These comments by the opposition have come after the incident took place on the Samruddhi Expressway at Pimpalkhuta village near Sindkhedraja in Buldhana around 1.30 am.

A total of 25 passengers were charred to death after the bus they were travelling in caught fire. There were 33 persons on board the vehicle, of whom eight survived, police said. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 520-km-long Phase-1 of the Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Mahamarg in December last year.

Officially named 'Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg', it is a pet project of Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.