Signature Bridge concept of Congress, AAP taking credit: Ajay Maken

In a jibe to the Delhi government, Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken on Sunday accused the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government of taking credit for the newly-constructed Signature Bridge, claiming it was a project of the Congress party.

He alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party has not started a single project during its term in Delhi in the last four years. The Congress leader alleged that the AAP, like the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has not been able to give final shape to the projects that were the initiative of the Congress party.

Giving a list of the projects launched and completed by the Congress in the national capital during its term of 15 years, Maken said that the AAP doesn't have a single project that it started and completed in the last four years. He further alleged that the AAP doesn't work and then later they alleged that they are not allowed to work.

Taking to Twitter, the Congress leader posted tweets along with a video. In his tweet, he said, " SignatureBridge inauguration! @INCIndia (Congress) conceptualised & built most of the iconic SignatureBridge. AAP Gov first delayed the project-now taking the credit. Kejriwal should've respectfully invited @SheilaDikshit (Sheila Dikshit) & @inc_jpagarwal (JP Agarwal) -as they were the real architects of this project."

He also slammed the AAP saying the Congress has conceptualised and built the Signature Bridge. Accusing the AAP government of first delayed the project, he said that they were now taking the credit. 

Maken said that CM Kejriwal should have respectfully invited former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit and JP Agarwal, as they were the real architects of this project.

The much anticipated Signature Bridge built over the Yamuna was inaugurated on Sunday by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. The bridge is expected to reduce the travel time between north-eastern and northern parts of Delhi. The Signature Bridge will be opened for public on Monday.

This bridge is the first asymmetrical cable-stayed bridge in India. The bridge also includes a 154-meter-high glass-steel observation deck at the top, although it will not be available for public use for at least another three months. The deck offers a panoramic bird's-eye view of the city to the visitors. 

There will be four elevators with a total capacity of carrying 50 people which will be built to take the visitors to the top of the bridge. The elevators are likely to be operational in two months. It will also have designated selfie spots.

Announced in 2004, the bridge has missed several deadlines since 2011. The proposal for the bridge was mooted in 2004 but it received approval of the Delhi Cabinet in 2007. It was initially expected to be completed at a modified estimate of Rs 1,131 crore for the Commonwealth Games, held in Delhi in October 2010.

In 2015, the cost of the project rose to Rs 1,594 crore. Reportedly, the bridge was proposed for the first time as early as in 1997 at an initial cost of Rs 464 crore.

The bridge will share the burden of vehicular traffic currently borne by the Wazirabad bridge. 

High drama prevailed at the bridge with Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari and scores of supporters staging a protest for allegedly not being invited to the inaugural event of the newly-built city landmark. Tiwari and his supporters reached up to the venue of the inaugural function. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy were not present when the protest took place. 

Tiwari had expressed displeasure over not being invited to the inaugural function and took a dig at Kejriwal government saying he will be present at the bridge to welcome the chief minister, who is scheduled to inaugurate the bridge on Sunday. "I will be present at the Signature bridge to welcome the Chief Minister. After all, I am MP of the area. It took 15 years and Rs 1500 crore to build the bridge, its shameful," Tiwari had tweeted.

Tiwari is MP from North East Delhi and the bridge comes in his constituency.

Replying to Tiwari's tweet, Sisodia had said that entire Delhi, including he (Tiwari), were invited to the inauguration function and expected him to maintain the dignity of the event.