Build your own road: UP minister dismisses criticism over expressway damage
A controversial comment by a Uttar Pradesh minister over damage to the Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway before its inauguration has snowballed into a political row, with the Congress and Samajwadi Party accusing the BJP government of corruption.
The controversy over damage to the Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway before its inauguration took another political turn after Uttar Pradesh minister Dinesh Pratap Singh responded to criticism by saying, "Build your own road," before adding that roads break during construction and there was "nothing new" about it.
His remarks came after reports that a portion of the expressway was damaged days before its scheduled inauguration.
"You build the road yourself. When roads are built, they also break. It is a continuous process. There is nothing new in it," Singh said.
The Congress hit back strongly, calling the minister's remarks an attempt to defend poor-quality construction and corruption.
Congress spokesperson Umashankar Pandey said, "This is the peak of corruption, commission-taking and shamelessness. The Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway has collapsed even before its inauguration, and ministers like Dinesh Pratap Singh are making such shameless statements."
He alleged that corruption in infrastructure projects had become widespread.
"We hear about commissions of 40 to 50 per cent. Earlier, roads used to develop cracks three or four days after inauguration, whether it was the Bundelkhand Expressway, the Green Corridor or the Ganga Expressway. This is a new record. The road has collapsed four days before its inauguration," he said.
Pandey also demanded an investigation into the assets of ministers.
"The assets of ministers should also be investigated because they are protecting those involved in commission-taking and encouraging corruption. It should be examined how they accumulated such wealth," he said.
Samajwadi Party leader Deepak Ranjan also criticised the minister's remarks, joining the Opposition's attack over the condition of the Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway before its inauguration.
The exchange has intensified the political battle over the quality of public infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh, with the Opposition accusing the BJP government of corruption while the minister defended the incident as part of the construction process.
The controversy over damage to the Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway before its inauguration took another political turn after Uttar Pradesh minister Dinesh Pratap Singh responded to criticism by saying, "Build your own road," before adding that roads break during construction and there was "nothing new" about it.
His remarks came after reports that a portion of the expressway was damaged days before its scheduled inauguration.
"You build the road yourself. When roads are built, they also break. It is a continuous process. There is nothing new in it," Singh said.
The Congress hit back strongly, calling the minister's remarks an attempt to defend poor-quality construction and corruption.
Congress spokesperson Umashankar Pandey said, "This is the peak of corruption, commission-taking and shamelessness. The Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway has collapsed even before its inauguration, and ministers like Dinesh Pratap Singh are making such shameless statements."
He alleged that corruption in infrastructure projects had become widespread.
"We hear about commissions of 40 to 50 per cent. Earlier, roads used to develop cracks three or four days after inauguration, whether it was the Bundelkhand Expressway, the Green Corridor or the Ganga Expressway. This is a new record. The road has collapsed four days before its inauguration," he said.
Pandey also demanded an investigation into the assets of ministers.
"The assets of ministers should also be investigated because they are protecting those involved in commission-taking and encouraging corruption. It should be examined how they accumulated such wealth," he said.
Samajwadi Party leader Deepak Ranjan also criticised the minister's remarks, joining the Opposition's attack over the condition of the Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway before its inauguration.
The exchange has intensified the political battle over the quality of public infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh, with the Opposition accusing the BJP government of corruption while the minister defended the incident as part of the construction process.
