‘Murder not accident’
BJP’s Shehzad Poonawalla terming it a “murder” and not accident, said “it is criminal negligence of AAP due to which at least three girls have lost their lives…”
Referring to the recent death of another UPSC aspirant who was electrocuted while trying to cross a waterlogged street, Poonawalla said, “Many deaths have occurred in a similar manner.Do the lives of Delhiites have no value? The only priority of CM Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party government is to hold press conferences, give advertisements and blame others.”
Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva and New Delhi MP Bansuri Swaraj also visited the site and blamed the AAP administration for the incident, saying the local MLA had ignored repeated appeals by residents to get the drains cleaned.
“Delhi government’s criminal negligence is responsible for this mishap. Jal Board Minister Atishi and local MLA Durgesh Pathak should take responsibility and resign,” Sachdeva said.
Swaraj said divers had to be called to rescue the students. “For the past week, locals were urging AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak to get the drain here cleaned. However, Durgesh Pathak didn’t listen to them. Arvind Kejriwal, Durgesh Pathak and the AAP government are entirely responsible for this incident,” she said.
Delhi BJP president Virendraa Sachdeva said, “What has happened there is not a tragedy but murder. How was the library functioning in the basement? What happened to an investigation set up earlier? These students are the future of the country… You people (Delhi government) are involved in this corruption. The people were continuously asking for the drainage to be cleaned, what were you doing? The AAP government has destroyed entire Delhi. What is their (students) fault that they came to Delhi to study? You people should be ashamed.”
Maliwal echoes similar sentiments – ‘Its a murder’
Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Swati Maliwal also expressed unease over delay in action against the officials responsible and said that the deaths should be termed ‘murder” instead of a disaster.
AAP MP Swati Maliwal, who paid a visit was met with students protesting outside the coaching centre raising slogans of ‘Swati go back’. Protesting students said: “We will not let you do politics.” Maliwal, however, said the students are “sad and angry” and alleged that more than 12 hours have passed and not a single minister of the Delhi government is present at the site while the mayor and MDC officers are also missing.
“This isn’t a natural disaster. It’s a murder. FIR should be registered and strict actions should be taken against those who are involved in this. ₹1 crore compensation should be given to the families of the students who lost their lives. Delhi government Ministers conduct press conferences in AC rooms. Delhi Mayor earlier asked people to enjoy the monsoon. Is this enjoyment? There is anger among students. They have been sitting here since last night but no one yet came to meet them,” she told news agency ANI.