The Morbi Bridge Collapse Tragedy was one of the most tragic news that could be heard in 2022. 

Saket Gokhale, a former RTI activist, and current Trinamool Congress Leader, was caught spreading a false news story about an RTI request and its unfounded response.

He had posted a news item from what appeared to be Gujarat Samachar, an unidentified Gujarati publication, in which it was claimed that PM Modi’s trip to Morbi cost $30 crore.

The BJP, on the other hand, claims that it is untrue that Gujarat Samachar also denied publishing such a report, that no such report was released, that no such RTI reply exists, and that no such report even existed.

After the tragic bridge collapse, TMC spokesperson Saket Gokhale claimed on December 1, 2022, that $30 crore had been spent preparing for Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Morbi in Gujarat.

Gokhale claimed in a clipping from a Gujarati newspaper that an RTI response revealed that 30 crores were spent for the PM’s brief visit to Morbi.

Morbi Bridge Collapse Tragedy: Details To Know 

In Gujarat, India’s city of Morbi, a pedestrian suspension bridge over the Machchhu River collapsed on October 30, 2022, killing at least 135 people and injuring more than 180 others.

After a protracted closure for renovations, the 19th-century bridge reopened five days ago, in time for Diwali and the Gujarati New Year.

The bridge collapsed five days after reopening on October 30, 2022, at 6:40 pm. There were more than 500 people on the bridge when it collapsed, significantly more than its 125-person capacity.

Before the walkway collapsed, individuals were seen hanging onto cables and fences on either side of the bridge as the structure shook violently.

Images of the rescue and recovery efforts revealed that the walkway had split in half, with some fragments still dangling on broken cables.

According to a survivor, there were so many people on the bridge that it was difficult for anyone to move, and sections of the bridge crushed several victims.

Mohan Kundariya, a Lok Sabha member who lost twelve family members in the event, including his sister, stated he thought overloading was to blame. A representative for Oreva claimed that it appeared too many people were “trying to sway it” in the bridge’s middle.

Rescue efforts were launched by five teams from the National Disaster Response Force. Staff from the Army, Navy, and Air Force later joined them. Teams from the police, military, and disaster response were sent in to conduct the rescue.

Saket Gokhale Arrested For Spreading Fake News, Where Is He Now?

Today, TMC MP Derek O’Brien announced on Twitter that Saket Gokhale, the Party’s national spokesperson, may have been detained by Gujarat Police.

According to O’Brien, Gokhale flew from New Delhi to Jaipur, Rajasthan, around 9 o’clock at night. On the other hand, Gujarat Police were present to make the arrest.

After being hauled away by the police, he said, he contacted his mother at two in the morning to let her know he was going to Ahmedabad and would be there by Tuesday lunchtime.

After that brief phone chat Gokhale had with his mother, according to O’Brien, the cops seized his phone. The arrest, he continued, resulted from Gokhale’s tweet regarding the Morbi Bridge collapse tragedy.

Gokhale, a former RTI “activist” and current Leader of the Trinamool Congress, was caught spreading a false news story about an RTI request and its unfounded response.

He had posted a news item from what appeared to be Gujarat Samachar, an unidentified Gujarati publication, in which it was claimed that PM Modi’s trip to Morbi cost $30 crore. The BJP, on the other hand, claims that it is untrue that Gujarat Samachar also denied publishing such a report, that no such report was released, that no such RTI reply exists, and that no such report even existed.

Gokhale stated that the 5.5 crores were only used for “welcome, event management, & photography,” citing the so-called report.

The families of the 135 victims of the tragedy received ex-gratia payments of 4 lakh each, amounting to a total of 5 crores, according to his other claim that “Modi’s event management & PR costs more than the life of 135 people.”

As Gokhale claimed, there was no such RTI or media report.