NEW DELHI: As protests continue over the tragic deaths of three UPSC aspirants in the basement of the RAU IAS Study Centre, Dr Munish Raizada, President of the Bharatiya Liberal Party (BLP) and an early member of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), made a strong statement at the protest site.
Addressing the demonstrators outside the study centre, Dr Raizada blamed the AAP government and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) for the incident. He labeled the deaths as “not just an accidental death; I call it a conspiracy, a murder—a murder on the part of the state. The state here means the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and, of course, the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi.”
ALSO READ: Driver of Force Gurkha arrested by police in Rajendra Nagar incident
Raizada demanded, “Those responsible for such a tragedy, including officials like Shelly Oberoi and the Chief Minister, should be held accountable for criminal negligence. This is an unpardonable incident.”
Dr. Raizada criticized the MCD for its negligence, stating, “The MCD utterly failed in its objectives. Despite collecting lakhs of rupees every day, they failed to perform their basic duty of cleaning roads and drains. They knew monsoons were approaching, yet a mere 30 minutes of rain led to severe waterlogging, causing the basement to flood like a whirlpool.”
ALSO READ: Rajendra Nagar tragedy: RAU’s IAS basement approved for storage, housed library
He also pointed out the illegal operation of a library in the basement, noting, “The business operating there did not have the necessary permissions. The MCD is responsible for this oversight. They conduct regular inspections, but instead of enforcing rules, they collect bribes and ignore violations. The system is endemically corrupt.”
Expressing solidarity with the victims’ families and the protesters, Dr. Raizada stated, “I fully support the students’ demonstrations and empathize with the grieving parents. Such blatant violations of safety norms lead to tragic casualties.”
Highlighting broader civic issues in Delhi, Dr. Raizada remarked, “Delhi has become a junkyard city over the past decade. Whether it’s the state of hanging wires, sewer cleaning, air quality, or the Yamuna River, every civic amenity is in dismal condition due to negligence.”