Morbi: Kadva Patidar Kanya Kelavni Mandal, in its function at Uma Sanskardham in Lajai under the title ‘Maa no Rudo Avsar’, felicitated Jaysukh Patel, the main accused in the Morbi hanging bridge collapse tragedy, by weighing him against 75 kg of laddus. The move sparked controversy as those close to the victims of the bridge tragedy questioned such an act of felicitation.

According to A.K. Patel, the organizer of the event, the land for the benefit of the community was donated by the late Odhavjibhai Patel, Jaysukhbhai’s father. Therefore, Jaysukhbhai was honored on this occasion. The organizers stated that Jaysukhbhai was present as per the bail order granted by the court, and there was nothing wrong with his presence or the felicitation. They explained that the original plan was to honor Pravinbhai, another member of Odhavjibhai’s family, but due to Pravinbhai’s ill health, he could not attend the function. Thus, Jaysukhbhai was felicitated despite his initial reluctance.

The organizers weighed Jaysukhbhai against 75 kg of laddu sweets and announced the addition of 150 kg of laddus for distribution among Patidar community families. They emphasized that Jaysukhbhai and his family have undertaken numerous charitable activities for society, employing and improving the lives of thousands in Morbi and surrounding areas. They stated that the bridge tragedy, though unfortunate, should not overshadow the overall contributions of the Odhavjibhai family. They added that the incident was not intentional and expressed confidence that the law would take its course to determine accountability and penalties in the case. DeshGujarat