AAP leaders, workers hold protests outside LG Secretariat over Delhi coaching centre tragedy

New Delhi [India], July 29 (ANI): Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders and workers held a protest outside the LG Secretariat in the national capital on Monday, demanding action against the Commissioner and officers of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) over the Old Rajinder Nagar incident.

The incident occurred at Rau’s Study Circle in Old Rajinder Nagar on Saturday after heavy rains.

AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak also joined the protest along with the party leaders and workers.

While talking to ANI, Pathak demanded action against all officers, including the senior officers who were found responsible.

“Who will take action over no work done on the drainage system in Delhi in the last 15-20 years? BJP should have shame. We demand that action be taken against all officers, including the senior officers, who are found responsible. The responsibility also falls on the Municipal Commissioner. Bansuri Swaraj should also say that it has been a BJP MP from the area for the last 11 years. She will have to answer, Why was drainage not made,” the AAP MLA said.

Earlier in the day, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena reached Old Rajinder Nagar and met the protesting students of the coaching centre following the deaths of three aspirants.

LG Saxena spoke to the protesting students and listened to their demands. Saxena also assured them of taking strict action.

AAP MP Sanjay Singh accused the BJP of conspiring with the LG and assured action in the matter. “It is a very unfortunate incident. Many coaching centres are running libraries and classes in their basements illegally. Action will be taken against the officials who are involved in it. The officials are not working, and it is the responsibility of the LG of Delhi to take action against them,” Singh said.

“I want to ask the BJP why they are punishing the people of Delhi. They took away the right to transfer the officials, and now, when it comes to taking action, they (the BJP) are conspiring with the LG of Delhi. We will expose them,” he added.

BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal hit back at the ruling AAP and said that the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is under the Delhi government.

“It’s not about blaming. MCD is under AAP, and that party has been ruling Delhi for the last 9 years. Incidents like this happen every year, but AAP has found no concrete solution to tackle this issue,” Khandelwal said.

The BJP MP said that those officers who are responsible for it must be severely punished to avoid repeating such incidents in the future.

Three students died after the basement of the building housing Rau’s Study Circle in Old Rajinder Nagar was flooded following the recent rain in the national capital.

The MCD initiated disciplinary proceedings against the executive engineer and assistant engineer of Karol Bagh Zone following the incident.

Delhi police have arrested seven people so far, including the driver of an SUV, in connection with the incident.

DCP (Central) M Harshvardhan said, “Five more persons, including owners of the basement space where the coaching center was being run, have been taken into custody. This also includes a man who drove an SUV and damaged the gate of the building, leading to rainwater gushing into the basement and causing flooding.”

“There was no permission to carry out commercial activity in the basement,” the DCP added.

The owner and coordinator of the coaching center were also arrested in the case. The accused have been booked for culpable homicide, among other charges.

The MCD sealed the basements of 13 coaching centers in Karol Bagh on Sunday for violating building bye-laws amid protests by students. Earth movers were used to remove encroachment over drains in Old Rajinder Nagar following student protests.