A teary-eyed prime minister, Narendra Modi Monday addressed a gathering in Gujarat's Banaskantha - hours after a bridge collapse in the state's Morbi district killed over 130 people - and said he felt 'heartbroken' over the 'horrific and painful' event. The PM was speaking at the inauguration of infrastructure projects in Banaskantha district.
"I was in a dilemma... this (the inauguration) is a developmental project… should I attend or not? It is your love and support... and my duty-bound beliefs that I braved with a strong mind and presented myself before you all," he said.
Earlier in the day, the prime minister spoke at a programme at the Statue of Unity in Gujarat's Kevadia and offered his condolences to the families of those killed in Morbi.
"I am in Ekta Nagar but my mind is connected to the victims of Morbi. Only rarely in life would I have experienced such pain. On one side is a heart full of hurt and on the other there is the path of duty and work. I offer my condolences to the families of the people that have lost their lives. In this hour of tragedy, the government is with them," he said.
PM Modi - on a three-visit to his home state ahead of elections later this year - was visiting Tharad town in Banaskantha - which faces a severe water shortage annually - to perform ground-breaking ceremonies for projects worth ₹8,000 crore. Some of these projects include water pipelines, the construction of a canal and 56 check dams.
Modi will visit Morbi on Tuesday to take stock of rescue operations and the probe into one of India's worst accidents in several years.