Delhi Coaching Centre Mishap: 'Instead of Taking Action, BJP-AAP Pass the Buck'

“Instead of taking strict action, BJP and AAP are passing the buck on to each other,” a UPSC aspirant said.

“The police and the authorities are under-reporting the number of aspirants who died because of the flooding in the basement of Rau IAS on Saturday,” a student alleged to The Quint on Monday, 29 July. 

So far, three UPSC aspirants have lost their lives by drowning in the basement of Rau IAS coaching centre situated in Old Rajinder Nagar area of Delhi as rain caused waterlogging and flooding in the area. “The authorities must reveal the actual number of casualties,” the student asserted. 

According to the First Information Report (FIR), filed at Rajinder Nagar police station on Sunday, “the rainwater – collected on the roads because of poor drainage – overflowed and flooded the basement of the coaching centre, risking the lives of the students.”  

“The entire area was flooded. I too was studying in a library when the electricity was cut off at around 6:30 pm. When we came out, we realised what had happened at Rau IAS. Around 9 pm, when NDRF came, the evacuation process started. All the water was pumped out by 8 am the next morning. There was so much water, it took nearly 12 hours to clean the area,” an aspirant told The Quint, requesting anonymity.

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'Hundreds of Libraries Run From Basements'

The police stated that the owner of Rau IAS coaching institute, Abhishek Gupta, did not have the required documents to run a library from the building's basement. In addition, the basement was not equipped with a drainage system. Gupta and four others have been arrested and charged under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including: 

• 105: culpable homicide not amounting to murder 

• 106 (1): causing death by rash or negligent act 

• 115 (2): voluntarily causing hurt 

• 290: negligent conduct with respect to constructing building 

Students and UPSC aspirants continue to hold protests in front of Rau IAS coaching centre, demanding accountability from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) as well as compensation for the families of the deceased.  

“Hundreds of libraries run from basements of buildings in the Karol Bagh-Rajinder Nagar belt. Most of them are in contravention of the law,” a UPSC aspirant alleged to The Quint on the condition of anonymity. He added that these libraries removed their boards and have temporarily shut down after the tragedy.

Meanwhile, bulldozers were called in on Monday to remove encroachments over drains along the road in front of the Rau IAS coaching centre amid tight security. 

'Instead of Taking Action, BJP & AAP Pass the Buck'

Even as Delhi Lieutenant Governer (LG) VK Saxena visited the protesting aspirants, assuring them of appropriate action, the tragedy started a war of words between the Union government and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi government.  

“Instead of taking strict action, BJP and AAP are engaging in political bickering and passing the buck on to each other,” an aspirant remarked. 

Delhi Urban Development Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed that he had first issued a notice to all senior officials including Commissioner of MCD regarding de-silting to avoid waterlogging in February this year. “But none of them turned up,” Bharadwaj told reporters during a press conference on Monday.  

BJP MP from New Delhi constituency Bansuri Swaraj told media persons, “The Municipal Corporation of Delhi and Delhi Jal Boards are under the Government of Delhi and cleaning of drainage also comes under the Delhi Government. Despite that, they have not undertaken upgradation and desilting of drains.” 

'Institutes Shut; No Clarity on Future Course of Action'

Delhi Fire Services (DFS) initiated the process of cancelling the NOC of Rau's IAS building in Old Rajinder Nagar, according to a report in The Times of India. The MCD on Sunday sealed 13 coaching centres in the area as they were found to be operating in basements in violation of rules. 

Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi on Monday said that six coaching centres were sealed in Rajender Nagar and a sealing drive was also held in Mukherjee Nagar area of Delhi. “Action was taken against officers responsible for Saturday’s incident. A Junior Engineer was terminated while an Assistant Engineer was suspended,” Oberoi said, in a video message posted online on X (formerly Twitter).  

Meanwhile, nearly all coaching centres in the area remained temporarily closed. “We have just been told that the institute is shut; no clarity was given to us on the future course of action. We have already paid the fees,” an aspirant lamented.