Congress demands high-level probe into building collapse

Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav on Sunday held the BJP and AAP governments jointly responsible for the collapse of a four-storey building in Mustafabad’s Dayalpur area. He sought a high-level probe to fix accountability and demanded stern punishment for guilty officials and politicians involved in the “building mafia nexus.”

Yadav said: “This was not just an accident but a direct result of administrative failure and corruption. The lives are lost due to the collusion between BJP and AAP leaders with corrupt officials and builders.”

He criticised the routine nature of government responses to such disasters, stating that “ordering probes has become a ritual.”

Yadav said, “The Chief Minister and the MCD Mayor have once again ordered inquiries, but no lessons are ever learned. The victims are left to suffer and the guilty persons are never punished.”

Yadav also raised concerns over rampant unauthorised constructions in the city. “Nearly 70 per cent of Delhi’s population lives in rural, unauthorised and resettlement colonies. In most of these areas, even colonies regularised in 1977, building plans are still not approved. People are forced to build homes without proper permissions, often with the connivance of the building mafia and corrupt officials,” he said.

He called for urgent amendments in building bylaws to enable poor and middle-class families to construct homes legally. “Without reform, such tragedies will continue to haunt Delhi,” he warned.

Yadav slammed the Centre for announcing a “woefully inadequate” compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured. He demanded that the amount should be increased to Rs 10 lakh and Rs 2 lakh, respectively. “The government has a moral and constitutional duty to provide adequate support to the victims’ families,” he said.

He alleged that the local BJP MP and the MLA failed to act despite being aware of illegal constructions in the area, adding, “The building collapse in Mustafabad is not an isolated incident. In January this year, a five-storey under-construction building collapsed in Burari, killing five persons. Such incidents are a pattern rooted in corruption.”

Mayor slams inaction

Following the collapse of a four-storey building in northeast Delhi’s Mustafabad, AAP leaders have come down heavily on the municipal administration and the BJP-led Delhi Government for their alleged inaction and insensitivity.

Delhi Mayor Mahesh Kumar Khichi, in a press conference on Sunday, said he had personally visited the incident site on Saturday and directed the Municipal Commissioner to suspend officials responsible for the tragedy.

“I had clearly instructed the Commissioner to immediately suspend the guilty officers, but no action has been taken so far. This is deeply unfortunate and reflects the corruption within the system,” Khichi said. The Mayor said he coordinated with emergency teams on the ground to ensure swift hospitalisation of those rescued. “The incident is heartbreaking. We offer our deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and pray for a speedy recovery for the injured,” he said, adding that a formal letter had been sent to the Commissioner demanding immediate suspension of the negligent officers.

Joining the chorus, AAP leader Adil Khan criticised the BJP-led Delhi Government for not announcing any financial support for the affected families. “Despite presenting a Rs 1 lakh crore Budget, the BJP government has no money to compensate the victims. This exposes their anti-poor attitude,” Khan said.

He demanded that Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announce Rs 10 lakh as compensation for the families of the deceased and Rs 5 lakh for those injured. “Even as AAP workers and Cabinet Ministers stood shoulder to shoulder with grieving families at the site, the BJP government remained silent. This is not just apathy, but a betrayal of the people of Delhi,” Khan added.

Delhi