New Delhi [India], September 7 (ANI): Delhi AAP president Saurabh Bharadwaj on Sunday questioned the ABVP’s demand for the resignation of the MCD Commissioner over the Satya Niketan building collapse, saying the student organisation should instead seek the resignation of Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.
On the ABVP protest outside the MCD Office at Civic Centre over the Satya Niketan building collapse, Bharadwaj said the protest should have a different target. “ABVP should ask for the resignation of their ABVP senior Rekha Gupta (who is CM). But she campaigned for ABVP last year,” he said in a post on X.
Bharadwaj’s remarks came after ABVP members staged a massive protest outside the MCD headquarters located at the civic centre over student safety on Sunday.
ABVP activists registered their strong protest against MCD's negligence and apathy regarding safety compliance in Paying Guest (PG) accommodations across student-dominated areas. During the demonstration, protesters entered the MCD building premises and staged a dharna, demanding immediate and concrete administrative action.
ABVP demanded a high-level, impartial investigation into the Satya Niketan collapse to establish accountability for negligent PG operators and responsible officials. Furthermore, the student organisation demanded an immediate safety and structural audit of all PGs and rented buildings operating across student hubs in Delhi, alongside strict action against facilities violating safety norms.
Speaking on the incident, ABVP national general secretary Virendra Singh Solanki said, "The Satya Niketan incident in Delhi is deeply tragic and alarming. There must be an impartial probe into this collapse, strict action against those responsible, and immediate justice for the affected students. Accountability must be fixed for officials who failed to ensure student safety, and the MCD Commissioner should resign immediately. I also appeal to the 1.4 billion citizens of the country to pray for the victims."
Several AAP leaders visited the site where students were staging a protest following the Satya Niketan building collapse.
Bhardwaj added that students were protesting at several locations over the building collapse. He also highlighted the AAP student wing's two demands for students.
"It is not the AAP that is staging the protest; rather, students are protesting at various locations. The AAP's student wing is present here. They have only two demands. There should be PG accommodation for students. Delhi University is a Central University. All the land belongs to the Central Government of Delhi. You do things for everyone else, but until you build hostels for them, this harassment and exploitation will continue. This won't stop until hostels are built; until then, the government should pay its PG fees itself," Bhardwaj said.
The Satya Niketan incident also drew calls for accountability, with political voices raising questions over the response to the collapse.
AAP MLA Sanjeev Jha, in a separate post on X, described the incident as “extremely alarming” and said that, as of 11:15 pm, 14 people had been rescued while reports suggested that 40-45 people might still be trapped inside. He urged the government and administration to accelerate the rescue operation.
"Why is the rescue operation so slow? Why is it being carried out with such limited resources? Why isn't the rescue operation being accelerated to a war footing?" he asked.
Jha said every minute was important for those trapped inside and called for the rescue efforts to be accelerated, stressing that every life was valuable.
"The government and administration must immediately accelerate the rescue efforts. Every single life is invaluable," he added.
Meanwhile, Delhi Police detained ABVP (Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad) members protesting at the MCD Office at Civic Centre over the Satya Niketan building collapse incident. Congress MP Deepinder Hooda mocked the protest and wrote on X, Chor machae shor (The thief makes a noise!)
https://x.com/DeependerSHooda/status/2096670312847090145?s=20
As of now, the death toll has risen to five in the Satya Niketan building collapse incident, while Delhi Police has registered an FIR against alleged owner Hariram and others in connection with the incident. (ANI)
"ABVP should ask CM Rekha Gupta’s resignation": Saurabh Bharadwaj on Satya Building collapse incident
