Congress blames Modi for Delhi Airport Terminal 1 accident; Centre issues clarification

New Delhi: The Congress on Friday blamed the Narendra Modi-led government for the collapse of a section of the canopy outside the Delhi airport’s Terminal 1, saying the victims bore the brunt of the “corrupt, inept and selfish government’s” actions. The party also accused the government of corruption and criminal negligence.

One person died and five were injured after the canopy collapsed amid heavy rainfall in the national capital.

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, pointing out the latter had praised his governance when he inaugurated a building near Terminal-1 of the Delhi airport. The Centre, meanwhile, clarified that PM Modi had inaugurated another building, not the one in question.

Kharge said the accident punched holes into PM Modi’s claims of India having a world-class infrastructure under the latter’s rule.

“Corruption and criminal negligence are responsible for the collapse of shoddy infrastructure falling like a deck of cards, in the past 10 years of Modi Govt,” he wrote on X.

Listing accidents during Modi’s over 10-year-long rule, Kharge said the instances revealed the reality of tall “claims by Modi”.

“On March 10th, when Modi ji inaugurated the Delhi Airport T1, he called himself”Doosri mitti ka insaan…” All this false bravado and rhetoric was only reserved for quickly indulging in ribbon-cutting ceremonies before Elections! Our heartfelt condolences to the victims of the Delhi airport tragedy. They bore the brunt of a Corrupt, Inept and Selfish Govt,” said Kharge (sic).

Meanwhile, the Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, said the government is taking the accident seriously.

“I want to clarify that the building inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi is on the other side and the building that collapsed here is an old one which opened in 2009,” he added.

He announced a compensation of ₹20 lakh for the deceased and ₹3 lakh for the injured.

Flight operations were severely hit due to the accident. The authorities stalled departures from Terminal 1.