'Criminal negligence': Cong on Delhi coaching centre deaths

The Congress on Sunday called for fixing accountability over the death of three IAS aspirants due to waterlogging in a building in Delhi with Rahul Gandhi asserting that common people are paying the price for irresponsibility of institutions at every level.

The three civil services aspirants died after the basement of the building housing a coaching centre in central Delhi's Old Rajinder Nagar area was flooded following heavy rain.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said it is very sad that three youths lost their lives due to waterlogging in the basement of an IAS coaching centre in the capital due to the 'criminal negligence of the government and administration'.

"Our deepest condolences to the bereaved families," he said.

Earlier, another UPSC aspirant died due to electric shock after waterlogging in Patel Nagar, he said.

'According to reports, eight people have lost their lives due to electric shock in the last few days. The Congress had made Delhi an international city. Today, the capital of India is suffering from indifference. Accidents keep happening every day,' the Congress chief said in a post in Hindi on X.

Such an accident in the country's capital is a matter of great concern for all of us, Kharge said.

'We have to make our capital better so that our citizens remain safe and those who live and come here have the confidence that they will not be neglected in the country's capital,' he said.

In a post in Hindi on X, Rahul Gandhi said, 'The death of students preparing for competitive exams due to waterlogging in the basement of a building in Delhi is very unfortunate. A few days ago, a student died due to electric shock during the rains.'

He expressed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.

'This collapse of infrastructure is a combined failure of the system. The common citizen is paying the price of unsafe construction, poor town planning and irresponsibility of institutions at every level by losing his life,' the former Congress chief said.

A safe and comfortable life is the right of every citizen and the responsibility of governments, he asserted.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, 'The incident of the death of three students due to waterlogging in the basement of a coaching institute in Delhi is heartbreaking. I pray to God for the departed souls and the bereaved families.'

Recently, a student died due to electric shock in Patel Nagar, she said in a post on X in Hindi.

'It is the height of negligence and mismanagement that the lives of children who come here from far-off places to fulfil their dreams are being snatched away from them,' she said.

'This is criminal and irresponsible. Accountability for this should be fixed and most importantly, every construction, every activity that is illegal and life-threatening should be rectified in the areas where students preparing for competitive exams live,' she added.

Congress general secretary, organisation, K C Venugopal said the tragedy in a coaching centre in Old Rajender Nagar, Delhi has shaken us to the core.

'My sincere condolences to the families of the departed,' he said.

Three innocent students lost their lives due to absolute 'criminal negligence', he said.

This was not caused by a natural disaster but the greed and indifference of the authorities, he said.

'We demand strictest actions against all those responsible for allowing such a disaster to take place,' Venugopal said on X.

Congress media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said this is a man-made disaster.

'The students had come from far-off places to study in Delhi. But what is the system of filtering out illegal structures from legal structures? Is the MCD looking into it? What about the drainage system? All these questions plague these controversies around these deaths,' he said.

Last week, a student died after touching a live wire, he said.

Is this how students coming to Delhi should be treated, Khera asked.

'Action has to be taken, accountability has to be fixed, and Delhi cannot be seen as such an insensitive city,' Khera said.

Delhi Police on Sunday arrested the owner and coordinator of the coaching centre and booked them for culpable homicide, among other charges, according to officials.