Six idols collapse at Ujjain's Mahakal corridor, Congress demands probe

State Congress chief and former Chief Minister Kamal Nath took to Twitter to express his shock over the incident. He said when the Congress government had approved the Mahakal corridor project, he did not imagine that the subsequent government would commit serious irregularities in the construction of Mahakal Lok.

Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh):In all, six idols of 'Sapta Rishis' installed on the premises of newly-developed Mahakal Lok in Ujjain Madhya Pradesh collapsed on Sunday. The temple authority and district administration were yet to make any statement about the incident, but official sources said that this occurred due to heavy winds and thunderstorms. Luckily, devotees, who were present on the premises, narrowly escaped.

After receiving the information about the incident, the District Collector rushed to the spot and instructed the authorities concerned to reinstall the idols. According to information, six out of seven statues of Sapta Rishis have fallen and broken in Mahakal Lok. The quality of work done in Mahakal Lok, which was constructed with Rs 850 crore, was exposed now. Many idols installed in Mahakal Lok were blown away while others were damaged. Significantly, a probe was going on in the Lokayukta in connection with the shoddy work. After the damage at the Mahakal Lok, those allegations have gained strength.

According to India Meteorological Department's Bhopal regional office, the wind speed in Ujjan was recorded at 65 kmph during afternoon hours. Sources also said that after the collapse of the huge size idols, entry of devotees was banned on the premises. Meanwhile, the opposition Congress has raised questions on the collapse of the idols and accused the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government of corruption in developing the Mahakal corridor.

State Congress chief and former Chief Minister Kamal Nath took to Twitter to express his shock over the incident. He said when the Congress government had approved the Mahakal corridor project, he did not imagine that the subsequent government would commit serious irregularities in the construction of Mahakal Lok. Kamal Nath demanded a high-level inquiry to investigate alleged financial irregularities in the project. (With agency inputs)