LG Saxena Assures Action as Protest Erupts Over Delhi Coaching Center Deaths

Delhi LG VK Saxena met with protesting students after three aspirants died in a flooded coaching center basement. Protests included AAP leaders demanding accountability from MCD and BJP officials. Multiple arrests have been made, and MCD initiated disciplinary actions against its engineers.

Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Monday visited Old Rajinder Nagar to meet with students protesting outside Rau's Study Circle after three aspirants died due to basement flooding following heavy rains.

Addressing the demonstrators' concerns, Saxena assured them of stringent actions. Meanwhile, AAP leaders staged a protest outside the LG Secretariat, demanding accountability from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) officers pertaining to the incident.

Criticizing the BJP's decade-long control, AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak questioned the neglect of Delhi's drainage system. He urged actions against responsible officers, including a BJP MP who held office for 11 years. AAP MP Sanjay Singh echoed similar sentiments, accusing the BJP of conspiring with the LG. Singh stressed the illegality of many coaching centers operating from basements.

Conversely, BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal attributed the issue to the AAP-led Delhi government's inefficacy over the last nine years, calling for severe action against responsible officers to prevent future occurrences.

Following the incident, MCD initiated disciplinary proceedings against two engineers, and Delhi Police arrested seven individuals, including the coaching center's owner and coordinator, who face charges of culpable homicide. The MCD also sealed basements of 13 coaching centers in Karol Bagh for violating building bye-laws.

DCP (Central) M Harshvardhan revealed additional arrests and actions to clear encroachments in Old Rajinder Nagar, indicating a comprehensive approach to the matter.

(With inputs from agencies.)