Heated Exchanges in Lok Sabha Over Deaths of Civil Service Aspirants in Flooded Delhi Coaching Centre

New Delhi: The Lok Sabha witnessed heated exchanges on Monday regarding the tragic deaths of three civil service aspirants in the flooded basement of a coaching centre in Delhi. The incident has sparked outrage and calls for accountability from various political leaders.

BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj criticized the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi, blaming their "utter and absolute apathy" for the tragedy. "Those students were in Delhi for the preparation of IAS examinations, but sadly I have to say that due to the criminal negligence of the Delhi government, those students have lost their lives," she said. Swaraj accused the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the Delhi Jal Board, both under AAP control, of ignoring repeated complaints from residents of Old Rajinder Nagar.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav demanded a thorough investigation and action against those who issued clearances to the coaching centre. Tharoor, representing Thiruvananthapuram, highlighted the need to fix accountability for the lapses that led to the fatal incident. "No amount of ex gratia can compensate for the loss of life of a brilliant student who wished to serve the nation," he said, emphasizing the rampant violations of building codes and safety norms in the city.

Akhilesh Yadav echoed the call for accountability, questioning whether the ruling party's readiness to use bulldozer action against criminals would extend to the coaching centre as well. BJP's Sudhanshu Trivedi accused the AAP government of "criminal negligence," noting that the coaching centre in Rajinder Nagar flouted norms and had received a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for storage purposes only, not for housing students.

In the Rajya Sabha, a scheduled discussion on the deaths of four students, including the three who drowned in the coaching centre and another electrocuted last week, was deferred. Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar acknowledged the issue's seriousness but noted opposition from the Congress to suspending regular House business for the discussion. He commented on the commercialization of coaching, saying, "Every time we read a newspaper, the front one or two pages are of their advertisements."

Delhi Coaching Centre Tragedy

The incident occurred on Saturday when heavy rain caused severe flooding in Rajinder Nagar, a coaching hub. The basement of Rau's IAS Study Centre was inundated, trapping several students and staff members. The bodies of two female students and one male student were recovered during rescue operations.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the basement housed a library and had only one entry and exit point, which was biometrically locked and became inaccessible due to the flooding. A case has been registered against the coaching institute, and Delhi Police have arrested seven people, including the coaching centre owners, in connection with the incident.

This tragedy has underscored the need for stricter enforcement of safety regulations in educational institutions and has prompted calls for comprehensive reforms to prevent such incidents in the future.