MUMBAI: The much-awaited 5.6-km-long, eight-lane bridge, the majestic Bandra Worli Sea Link, built at a cost of over Rs.1,600 crore, to be named after former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, was thrown open to the public yesterday at 7 in the morning, caused heavy traffic jam. Not surprisingly, it took over an hour to reach the 5.6-km-long bridge.

However, a very large number of people took a joy ride on the bridge, which led to traffic jam and a journey, which would have lasted seven minutes took 25 minutes.

After its inauguration on Tuesday by Congress President and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar surprised one and all when he asked the Maharashtra government to name the bridge after late Rajiv Gandhi.

“In the golden jubilee year of Maharashtra, it is most appropriate to name the bridge after Rajiv Gandhi for his contribution,” Chief Minister Ashok Chavan said. Later, Sonia reciprocated by saying: “My gratitude to Pawar and Chavan for naming the bridge after Rajiv Gandhi.” However, the decision to name the bridge after Rajiv has evoked sharp response from the Shiv Sena-BJP saffron alliance. Senior Sena BJP leaders said that the bridge should have been named after Veer Savarkar.

Senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde and Sena Rajya Sabha member Bharat Kumar Raut said that the sea link should have been named after militant Hindu leader Veer Savarkar. The Sena Working President Uddhav Thackeray too has expressed his resentment over the decision of the government.

In his speech, Pawar said 25 years ago when we used to make a telephone call to districts, we had to wait. “Today, on a cell phone anyone can be reached. Because of IT, today Indians have earned respect in the United States. Today when it comes to automobile sector, different vehicles are being built here,” he said

Added Pawar: “We have made strides in the field of IT, science and technology, telecom and automobile. Rajiv Gandhi had played a key role in developing a scientific approach and scientific temper and hence the bridge should be named after him.”

Even as Pawar made the request, there was a thunderous applause. ¬