Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the Atal Bridge to the public, a video of the bridge smeared in 'gutka' and 'betel nut' spit stains is doing the rounds on Twitter, eliciting emotional reactions from netizens.
Some social media users called the act "shameful" and others called the vandals who spat on the newly opened bridge "idiots".
"A shameful act by a bunch of illiterate Amdavadis [citizens] on Day One of the newly opened Atal foot bridge," a user wrote on Twitter.
Meanwhile, the Sabarmati River Front Development Corporation Limited (SRFDCL), the state-run agency responsible for the bridge's upkeep has levied a fee of 30 rupees ($0.38) for crossing the bridge to control the crowd and prevent such incidents there.
The Atal Bridge is the first footbridge that connects the Sabarmati River's east and west banks in Ahmedabad, the largest city in Modi's home state of Gujarat. The bridge is 300 meters long and 14 meters wide. Its railings have been built with a mix of glass and stainless steel and colorful fabric adorns the roof of the bridge.
Besides, the bridge also has a flower garden at its western end, and it will soon have an art and culture center which is being built at its eastern end.
The Atal Bridge is the first footbridge that connects the Sabarmati River's east and west banks in Ahmedabad, the largest city in Modi's home state of Gujarat. The bridge is 300 meters long and 14 meters wide. Its railings have been built with a mix of glass and stainless steel and colorful fabric adorns the roof of the bridge.
Besides, the bridge also has a flower garden at its western end, and it will soon have an art and culture center which is being built at its eastern end.