The controversy surrounding Bhopal’s infamous ‘90-degree bridge’ which had led to suspension of eight officials, was put in a new light on Thursday when State Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Rakesh Singh said the bridge had no major issues. Speaking to the media in Jabalpur, the Minister said there was never any real issue with the bridge, but exaggerated publicity turned it into headlines. “There was no ‘90-degree issue’ at all. Similar bridges and junctions exist across the State and the country. What matters is whether safety measures were followed and in this case, they were,” Singh added. He further stated that in old cities with limited space, road and bridge designs sometimes require sharper angles. The PWD Minister added that Bhopal bridge is not actually 90 degrees, but 114 degrees and posed no technical difficulty. He said the disciplinary action against the contractor and others was due to ‘coordination issues’ not structural flaws. The Department has prepared its reply for the High Court and necessary proceedings are underway, he said. The matter was heard on Wednesday before the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s division bench, comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Sachdeva and Justice Vinay Saraf. Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT) Civil Engineering Department had submitted its inspection report. After reviewing the findings, the Chief Justice questioned the Government’s action “If the contractor worked according to PWD’s directions, why was action taken against him? According to MANIT report, PWD’s general arrangement drawing had shown the bridge angle as 119 degrees, while the constructed bridge measured slightly above 118 degrees, a negligible difference. The report concluded that the contractor had built the structure as per the Department’s design. During the hearing, the Government’s counsel sought additional time to study the report and file a detailed response. The High Court accepted the request and scheduled the next hearing for September 23. While talking to the media, PWD Minister Singh has extended support to the recent decisions taken by the organisation, which have sparked intense discussions within the party. Strict action initiated against nepotism has created ripples in State politics. Singh stated that the BJP is a political party where unity is achieved on every decision. On the directives of the State President, the party asked two senior leaders’ relatives to resign from organisational posts, in a clear move against nepotism. With these resignations, the party has sent a strong message that its principles apply equally, irrespective of the stature or influence of any leader’s family.