New Delhi, Sep 7 — The Congress on Monday slammed the Delhi government over the Satya Niketan building collapse, saying the incident should not be treated as an accident and alleging that it amounted to a 'planned murder'. The BJP, however, accused the Opposition of politicising the tragedy and said rescue operations and action against those responsible were underway.
At least six people have lost their lives in the incident, while five others have been rescued. The search operation for those still feared trapped under the debris is underway at the site of the building collapse.
Speaking to IANS, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari criticised the authorities over their response to the incident and questioned the action being taken against those responsible.
“There is a routine, isn’t there? Whenever a building collapses, you will take photographs, leaders will give speeches, everything will happen. And a few days later, until another accident occurs, everything will come to a halt. What else will they say, that we will not take action? Why doesn’t the LG simply read the FIR? There is no mention of the Municipal Corporation, which is responsible, and there is no mention of the police either. So where is the justice?” he told IANS.
Tiwari further alleged negligence by those who allowed construction work to continue while students were staying in the building and held them responsible for the tragedy.
“Do not call it an accident; this was a planned murder. It was a killing. You tell me: A building constructed in 1970, with a weak foundation, and they were adding a fifth floor without even laying a concrete slab. The biggest crime, and the biggest culprits, are those who allowed construction work to continue on the building while students were being housed there as paying guests. So this was a planned murder. And against whom is the case being registered? Against the landlord,” he said.
BJP MLA Anil Sharma, reacting to protests by the AAP and other Opposition parties over the building collapse, accused them of indulging in politics while the government was focussed on rescue operations.
“They are doing politics, while we are carrying out rescue operations. The building was not constructed in the last one-and-a-half-years of our government under the Honorable Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. The building is an old structure, around 40 to 50 years old,” he said.
Sharma said repair work was being carried out on the ground floor and alleged that mistakes during the work led to the collapse.
“While carrying out that repair, some mistake occurred on their part. The brunt of that mistake is unfortunately being borne by those poor students. Those responsible will definitely face consequences, and a criminal case will certainly be registered against them,” he said.
He added that action should also be taken against MCD officials if they failed to ensure safety standards.
“The Honorable Chief Minister has specifically directed that strict action be taken against them as well,” Sharma said.
The BJP MLA further said that any building found to be dilapidated or structurally unsafe would be sealed and subsequently demolished.
“No one can compromise with children’s lives in any manner. The Chief Minister has issued strict directions. A case has also been registered against the person carrying out repairs on the building, and strict action will be taken against him. Action will also be taken against the engineers who allowed the work to continue despite being responsible for the building; they will be suspended,” he said.
Sharma also rejected claims that the building had previously been sealed.
“The building was not sealed. Where was the seal? Some people are making such statements without any basis. It was an old building, and repair work was underway. During the repair work, the required norms were not followed, and the work was not carried out properly, which led to the building collapsing,” he said.
He assured that strict action would be taken against all those found responsible for the tragedy.
“How could they put people’s lives at risk in this manner?” he said.