Chaos erupts in MC House over Rajinder Nagar tragedy

Anshita Mehra

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New Delhi, July 29

Intense protests erupted in the MCD House on Monday as Opposition councillors demanded the resignation of Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal following the tragic deaths at a Rajinder Nagar coaching centre. The incident, which claimed the lives of three IAS aspirants due to basement flooding, has ignited calls for accountability and immediate action.

The Opposition councillors from the BJP and Congress stormed the Well of the House, expressing their outrage through slogans and posters against the AAP-led Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). The Mayor adjourned the session before it officially began and exited the House. Following the adjournment, BJP councillors continued their demonstration on the fourth floor of the Civic Centre, insisting that the Mayor reconvene the session. They also called for a thorough investigation into the deaths and raised slogans against Kejriwal.

In response to the incident, Mayor Oberoi convened an emergency meeting with civic body officials. Present at the meeting were the MCD Commissioner, Delhi Jal Board Chief Executive Officer and the Public Works Department Principal Secretary.

Raja Iqbal Singh, Leader of the Opposition and former Mayor in the MCD, expressed deep condolences to the families of the victims. “It is indeed heartbreaking that youths preparing for the competitive exams lost their lives due to administrative failure,” Singh said. He called for the resignation of the Mayor, taking moral responsibility for the Rajinder Nagar incident. “Rajinder Nagar’s MLA, councillor and the Mayor are all from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has been in power in Delhi for over 10 years. The entire responsibility of the incident lies with the AAP,” Singh asserted.

Singh demanded a compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of the three deceased students. He also criticised the ruling AAP for its actions during the MC House meeting.

“The Mayor ended the proceedings in less than 10 seconds without allowing a condolence motion to be presented,” Singh remarked.

He highlighted that drains up to 4 ft and smaller are under the MC’s jurisdiction, while larger drains are managed by the Delhi Government’s PWD and Irrigation Department. “Since the AAP controls all administrative levels, it is responsible for the incident,” Singh stressed.