DON’T TALK NONSENSE—WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOUR SONS DIED

DON’T TALK NONSENSE—WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOUR SONS DIED

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RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA-------------------------A tragic accident in the Shahpur police station area of ​​the district on Tuesday has shaken the entire region. Two youths lost their lives after being swept away by the strong current of the Cher River while riding a motorcycle across a diversion for a bridge under construction near Rudranagar village; a third youth managed to save his life. The public outrage following this tragic incident peaked on Wednesday when villagers blocked the road near Sobhi Tola on the Ara-Buxar NH-84, protesting against administrative negligence and demanding compensation.

A video showing a heated exchange between Jagdishpur SDM Omprakash Lal and former Shahpur MLA Rahul Tiwari—who arrived at the scene during the protest—has become a topic of discussion on social media. The video clearly captures the intense confrontation between the former MLA and the SDM, raising significant questions regarding administrative accountability and sensitivity.

According to reports, the youths met with the accident on Tuesday while traversing the diversion of the bridge under construction over the Cher River near Rudranagar. Angered by the incident, villagers staged a protest on Wednesday. When the SDM arrived, former MLA Rahul Tiwari accused him of negligence, asking why he had not visited the site immediately after the accident and why no barricading had been installed.

In the viral video, the former MLA is seen questioning the SDM about his duties and responsibilities. The situation grew more tense when the SDM explained his absence by citing his engagement in the District Magistrate's (DM) program. Irked by this response, the former MLA reacted sharply, criticizing the administrative machinery's lack of sensitivity. He further demanded that an FIR be registered against the officials responsible for this negligence.

The former MLA alleged that timely barricading was not carried out at the site, nor was a signboard installed for the diversion. He stated that the issue had persisted for three months, yet the concerned officials failed to implement necessary safety measures—such as bamboo barricading—in advance. Moreover, when the SDRF team was summoned, even basic arrangements—such as fuel—could not be made for them. Sharp questions were also raised regarding the demand for an ambulance. The body was transported in a tempo at private expense; part of the body was protruding outwards.

In the viral video, former MLA Rahul Tiwari is heard telling the SDM, "Don't talk nonsense. Understand your duties and responsibilities. What would you do if your own sons were to die?" Responding to this, SDM Omprakash Lal offers a clarification, stating, "I was attending the DM's program." This remark further infuriates the former MLA. In the viral video, he is heard saying, "Go lick boots... then why have you come here?"

During the exchange, the former MLA asked, "Who are you, and why have you come? Why wasn't the area barricaded?" When the SDM replied that he had just arrived, the former MLA asked how long he had been in the area; the SDM said he had been there for three days. The former MLA asked, "You were staying in Bihiya—why didn't you visit the incident site yesterday?" The SDM replied, "I was attending the DM's program."

The former MLA asked, "What was so essential [about that]? Would the DM have cost you your job if you had passed by the incident site? No, right? The DM would have respected you for it. Why have you come now? The road "The traffic jam was caused by your mistake; that is why you have arrived here." In response to the SDM, the former MLA retorted, "Stop talking nonsense. Put me through to the DM, or else you should leave—in fact, an FIR should be lodged against you." A video capturing this heated exchange between the SDM and the former MLA, amidst the gathered crowd, is rapidly going viral on social media. However, Khabrein Aapki has not verified the viral video.