NHAI officials assaulted in Shimla; Gadkari blames Himachal minister, demands action

The attack on National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) officials here on Monday by an unruly mob has snowballed into a major controversy, with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari strongly condemning Rural Development Minister Anirudh Singh for his alleged involvement in the assault. In a tweet, Gadkari stated that the heinous attack on Achal Jindal, Manager of NHAI PIU Shimla, allegedly by the Minister of Panchayati Raj and his associates, is deeply reprehensible and an affront to the rule of law.

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“Such a brutal attack on a public servant performing his official duties not only endangers individual safety but also erodes institutional integrity,” Gadkari wrote. He took serious cognisance of the matter and spoke with Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh, urging immediate and exemplary action against all perpetrators. “Accountability must prevail, and justice must be delivered without delay,” he remarked.

On Monday, a mob at the site of a building collapse at Battakuffar, on the outskirts of the town, assaulted two NHAI officials, accusing them of endangering their houses due to reckless digging in road construction. The issue of the attack on NHAI officials has escalated into a major controversy, with Santosh Kumar Yadav, Chairman of NHAI, also writing to Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena, taking a serious view of the attack.

Yadav demanded a detailed inquiry into the incident and action against all those involved in the manhandling of NHAI officials, as per the law. Failing this, the morale of NHAI officers working in Himachal Pradesh and the projects being executed would be affected.