BJP Calls Death of Students Due To Flooding at Coaching Centre 'Murder' By AAP, Blames Kejriwal

New Delhi: Reactions poured in from the BJP after two students drowned and two reportedly went missing after the basement of a building housing a civil service coaching centre was flooded following heavy rain in central Delhi's Old Rajinder Nagar area on Saturday.

According to the Delhi Fire Department (DFS), a call about waterlogging was received from the Rao IAS Study Centre at about 7 pm.

"A total of five fire tenders were rushed to the site. The basement was full of water," an official said.

The body of a female student was retrieved from the site during the rescue operation by the NDRF, local police and fire department, the officials said.

However, two students are still missing. The rescue operation is underway, they said.

Poonawalla Calls It A 'Murder'

Calling it a murder by the AAP, BJP Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said, "This is not a mishap but a murder by the AAP. This is sheer carelessness. The Delhi unit of the BJP is trying to rescue the students but the question is who is going to take the responsibility?"

Basement Got Flooded Very Quickly, Some Still Trapped: Says DCP

DCP Central M Harshavardhan told ANI, "At 7 pm, we received information that the basement of a USPC coaching institute in Rajender Nagar has been flooded with a possibility of some people trapped. There was waterlogging on the road due to heavy rains this evening. We are investigating the matter that how the entire basement got flooded. It appears that the basement got flooded very fast and some people got trapped inside the basement. Delhi Fire Service and NDRF resued teams are present here. Search and rescue operations are underway... Till now, the dead body of one girl student has been recovered..."

Kejriwal Responsible For Deaths: Swaraj

Bansuri Swaraj, BJP MP from Delhi said the children (at the coaching centre) went there to create their future. She said the government of CM Arvind Kejriwal and MLA Durgesh Pathak did not listen to any requests of the local people. She added, "People had been asking Durgesh Pathak for the last week to get the drainage systems cleaned. There are still 2.5 feet of waterlogged on the street... Arvind Kejriwal and Durgesh Pathak are responsible for the deaths..."

Example of Kejriwal's Corruption: Delhi BJP Chief

Calling it 'an example of Kejriwal's corruption’ Delhi BJP Chief Virendra Sachdeva said, "This is a murder and is an example of Arvind Kejriwal's corruption. Locals here had urged AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak multiple times to get the drain here cleaned. We still don't know about the casualties yet. This is very saddening."

Guilty Must Be Punished: Maliwal

AAP MP Swati Maliwal wrote on X, "A UPSC student died by drowning in Rajendra Nagar area due to water filling in the basement. This incident is very unfortunate and sad. Can't even imagine what this child's family must be going through. Just a few days ago, a student died due to an electric shock in Patel Nagar. Accountability should be fixed for this incident. Those guilty of negligence should be punished."

Whoever Responsible Will Not Be Spared…Atishi

Water Minister Atishi stated that whoever was responsible for the mishap would not be spared. She added, "There is news of an accident due to heavy rain in Delhi in the evening of water being filled in the basement of a coaching institute in Rajendra Nagar. Delhi Fire Department and NDRF are on the spot. Delhi Mayor and local MLAs are also there. I am taking updates on the incident every minute. A magistrate has been ordered to investigate how this incident happened. Whoever is responsible for this incident will not be spared…" 

(with PTI Inputs)