MP: Oppn Congress sets up panel for probe into collapse of idols at Mahakal Lok corridor

Bhopal: The opposition Congress in Madhya Pradesh has constituted a committee to conduct a probe into the collapse of six idols installed at Ujjain's Mahakal Lok corridor due to strong winds, a party leader said on Monday.

After the incident on Sunday, the Congress had hit out at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state, alleging corruption in the project and demanded a probe into the "sub-standard" quality of construction.

Six out of the seven idols of 'Saptarishis' installed at the Mahakal Lok corridor, developed on the Mahakaleshwar temple premises in Ujjain city, collapsed on Sunday and suffered damages due to gusty winds, officials earlier said.

No person was injured in the incident, they said.

Piyush Babele, media advisor of MP Congress chief Kamal Nath, told PTI that a seven-member committee, including five party legislators, has been constituted to conduct a probe into the collapse of idols at the Mahakal Lok corridor.

After the probe, the panel will submit a report to the MP Congress committee, he said.

Meanwhile, Nath said, “When the then Congress government of Madhya Pradesh had resolved to make a grand construction of the Mahakal temple complex in Ujjain, it could not have imagined that the subsequent government would commit serious irregularities in the construction of Mahakal Lok."

He said the sight of idols falling on the ground due to winds in the Mahakal Lok complex is pathetic for any religious person.

“I demand from the chief minister that new idols be installed immediately and those who indulging in sub-standard constructions should be punished after an investigation,” he said.

Meanwhile, state BJP spokesman Pankaj Chaturvedi said the Congress levelled allegations of corruption during the last “Simhastha” (a religious event organised once in 12 years at Ujjain) also and constituted a committee for a probe into it.

This committee did not find any irregularity and the previous Congress government in the state had said in the Assembly that there was no irregularity during Simhastha, Chaturvedi said.

On Sunday, the gusty winds damaged six out of 160 idols (at the Mahakal Lok corridor), he said and added, “The Congress should conduct a probe again as there is no irregularity. It's their politics.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first phase of the Mahakal Lok corridor project in October last year.

Ujjain Collector Kumar Purushottam on Sunday said there are a total of 160 idols installed at the Mahakal Lok corridor and out of them, six idols of 'Saptarishis' (seven sages) that were around 10 feet tall fell down at around 4 pm as strong winds swept through the area.