Blame Game Over Delhi Airport Roof Collapse Continue, BJP Claims Damaged Terminal Built In 2009 Under UPA Rule

Restoration and relief work underway at the Terminal-1 of the IGI Airport where a canopy collapsed amid heavy rain on Friday. (Image/PTI)

Amid the uproar over the Delhi airport’s roof collapse, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu on Friday said that the terminal 1 canopy that collapsed today, killing one person and injuring four others, was constructed during 2008-09. While the Opposition blamed the BJP for the incident, the saffron camp claimed that the portion of the terminal that collapsed was built in 2009, during the Congress-led UPA era, and couldn’t withstand rain then as well.

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Reportedly, just three months after its inauguration in 2009, a section of the newly constructed Terminal 1-D at the IGI Airport was damaged due to heavy rains and wind, prompting Civil Aviation to open an inquiry into the case.

Naidu’s remark came after the Congress claimed that the roof that collapsed was part of the expanded Terminal-1 of IGI Airport that was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this year in March.

BJP leader Amit Malviya also took to the microblogging site X and slammed the Congress party over its “audacity to blame the BJP” over Friday’s roof collapse incident. He stressed that the “portion of Terminal T1 that has collapsed, was built and operationalised in 2009” during the “Congress-led UPA era”, which “couldn’t withstand the rain” in 2009 itself.

“The portion of Terminal T1 that has collapsed, was built and operationalised in 2009 and was of sub-optimal workmanship. The first inquiry was ordered in 2009 itself, when it couldn’t withstand the rains, and another one in 2013. All of this happened during Congress led UPA era. And they have the audacity to blame the BJP,” Malviya said.

NCP MP and former Union Civil Aviation Minister, Praful Patel called it an “unfortunate” incident and demanded an investigation into the case.

“It’s unfortunate that a portion of Delhi airport’s Terminal 1 collapsed. I can’t understand the politics being done on this. A building was built 15 years ago and work was being carried out from there. An investigation should be conducted into the incident. A major company, Larsen & Toubro built this airport. Why should politics be done on this? Instead, action should be taken,” he said.