Stop politics over Delhi coaching center deaths, demand protesting students

Civil services aspirants from institutes in Delhi's coaching hub holding protests against the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) following the death of three students in the flooded basement of Rau's IAS Study Circle building said they sought better facilities and not politics on the issue.

More than 400 students participating in the protest for the past three days amid heavy police deployment alleged that some "outsiders" have been raising political slogans at the protest site and “trying to sabotage" their cause.

The protesters, who declined to reveal the names of their coaching institutes, have decided to form a coordination committee comprising 15 members who will decide their future course of action and communicate with the authorities concerned.

The tragedy has sparked off a political blame game as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress attacked Delhi's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, terming the incident “murder.”

"We don't want political leaders to politicize the issue. We demand betterment of facilities but it has come to our notice that some people from outside are trying to sabotage our cause," Goutam, a UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) hopeful from Haryana said.

He claimed some people at the protest have been raising political slogans.

"On Monday (July 29) when the lieutenant governor was here, some outsiders raised slogans against him. We condemn such activities. Our fight is against the authorities not against any particular party or politician," Goutam added.

Rahul Kumar, a civil service aspirant from Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad, said some student leaders were trying to "hijack" the protest.

"We are asking the protesters to show their identity cards to prove they are students of any coaching center or student leaders of any university. We will only allow the civil service aspirants at the protest site," he said.

Avdhesh Kumar, an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) aspirant from Uttarakhand, said, "We have decided to form a coordination committee of 15 members comprising students only from Old Rajinder Nagar so that we can put forth our demands clearly without any political angle."

Alleging that the coaching center was not following any norms and putting the lives of the students in danger, the protesters said they would continue their stir till the facilities improved.

"A few police officers are advising students to go home and prepare for exams. We are planning to hold a candle march and start a hunger strike until all our demands are met," another protester said.

Satyam Singh from Haryana who is studying at a coaching institute in Delhi said they are demanding compensation for the families of the victims and strict action against those responsible for the safety and security lapse.

In the last two days, the MCD has sealed 20 basements of coaching institutes in Rajinder Nagar and Mukherjee Nagar, areas that are dotted with UPSC coaching centers. These basements were illegally being used as libraries or for providing classes.

Battling charges of negligence and not desilting stormwater drains, the civic body terminated a junior engineer and suspended an assistant engineer of the area for alleged lapses on their part.

Parliamentarians across party lines have demanded an inquiry into the incident of July 27 while Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena announced ₹10 lakh compensation for the kin of the deceased.

Saxena has assured action within 24 hours against officials of the Delhi Fire Services, police and MCD found guilty for the tragedy.

A senior police officer said, "We have deployed police and paramilitary personnel to maintain law and order... We have put up barricades near the Rau's IAS Study Circle."

According to officials, the coaching center was illegally using the basement of the building as a library. Locals have alleged that the drainage system in the area was heavily clogged.

So far, police have arrested seven people, including the owner and coordinator of the coaching institute, in connection with the incident.

(PTI)