Patna, July 5 (IANS): While 12 bridges have collapsed since June 18, the Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Legislative Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, stated on Friday that the construction of bridges did not happen during his tenure.

“I served as the Minister of Rural Work and Road Construction for 18 months, whereas the JD(U) has held these ministries for the past 17 years. During my tenure, there was no money in the department. The construction work was carried out under the tenures of JD(U),” Yadav said while interacting with the press.

“Tenders for some bridges were issued during his time, but no actual construction had started,” he said.

Tejashwi Yadav responded to criticisms from NDA leaders regarding the frequent bridge collapse in the state.

Yadav highlighted that over a dozen bridges have collapsed in the past 15 days, blaming JD(U) for the poor construction quality.

Yadav blamed the ruling "double engine" government for rampant corruption and crime, stating that incidents like bridge collapses, NEET paper leaks, and continuous criminal activities are not being addressed. He criticised the government for increasing inflation, engaging in corruption, and failing to prevent the bridge collapse.

In response to accusations from BJP leaders that he is posting on X from abroad, Yadav countered by saying that while he is tweeting, the ruling party members are present in Bihar and failing to prevent the bridge collapses.

So far, 12 bridges have collapsed within 15 days in Araria, Siwan, East Champaran, Kishanganj, and Saran districts.

NDA leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sinha, BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal, Cabinet Minister Ashok Choudhary, and JD(U)'s Neeraj Kumar, have said that Yadav should take the blame for the bridge collapses as he was also the minister for 18 months.