A political slugfest broke out after a building, which was a boys’ PG, collapsed in south Delhi’s Satya Niketan on Sunday afternoon. Three people died, while around 40 others are still feared trapped as rescue teams continue their operation at the spot.
Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi led the Opposition's attack on the ruling BJP government at the state and Centre as he called out the “inhumane conditions” students face “due to a lack of good hostels in colleges”. Follow live updates related to the building collapse here.
The BJP, meanwhile, hit back at the Opposition, accusing them of targeting the government for “publicity”.
Delhi building collapse: BJP hits back at Opposition
Deep Dive
What were the conditions like in the boys' PG hostel before the collapse in Satya Niketan?
Why did political leaders criticize the government's response to the building collapse in Delhi?
How are the rescue operations being conducted following the building collapse in Delhi?
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, speaking to news agency ANI, said that the government was concerned over the incident and accused the Opposition of trying to gain “publicity” from the incident.
“People just want publicity. Nobody takes Rahul Gandhi or the Congress party seriously. Narendra Modiji is the world's most popular leader. He has shown his development in 12 years. So, all these people attack Modiji so that they get some kind of traction,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“People just want publicity. Nobody takes Rahul Gandhi or the Congress party seriously. Narendra Modiji is the world's most popular leader. He has shown his development in 12 years. So, all these people attack Modiji so that they get some kind of traction,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar called AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj and other Opposition leaders “tragedy hunters”.
“Whenever an accident occurs in Delhi or anywhere else in the country, they (Bhardwaj and AAP leaders) are the first to issue statements, yet they offer no actual assistance,” he told ANI.
What did Rahul Gandhi, Saurabh Bhardwaj say?
Rahul Gandhi on Sunday raised concerns over poor hostel facilities following the building collapse in Delhi's Satya Niketan. He described the incident as extremely "heartbreaking and alarming".
"Students' lives were already filled with struggles—now the situation has turned life-threatening. Due to the lack of good hostels in colleges or universities, students are forced to live in PG accommodations, 40-40 at a time under one roof, in inhumane conditions," the Congress leader said on X.
"Every student's life is precious, and their protection must be ensured under all circumstances", he added.
Bhardwaj, meanwhile, alleged that several Delhi government officials were taking bribes as he criticised the government over a series of building collapses in the Capital.
“Just a few days ago, you saw a four-story building collapse in Saket. It took the government and the MCD a whole week to admit it was a four-story…Previously, only the MCD was taking bribes. But for the past year, the MCD, the Fire Department, and the SDM/DM departments have all been taking bribes,” he told ANI.
Meanwhile, authorities are in the process of registering an FIR into the incident, and seven to eight teams have been deployed to trace the building's owner.
With inputs from agencies