Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and senior Congress leader, expressed deep sorrow over the tragic deaths of three UPSC aspirants in Delhi on Sunday. The incident occurred at Rau’s IAS Study Circle in Old Rajinder Nagar, where a nearby drain burst, causing flooding in the basement of the coaching center.
Gandhi took to social media, now known as X, to express his condolences. He stated, “The death of students preparing for competitive exams due to waterlogging in the basement of a building in Delhi is very unfortunate. A few days ago, a student died due to electric shock during the rains.”
The Rae Bareli Lok Sabha MP pointed out the recurring issue of unsafe construction and poor town planning, asserting that ordinary citizens bear the brunt of these failures. He said, “This collapse of infrastructure is a combined failure of the system. The common citizen is paying the price of unsafe construction, poor town planning and irresponsibility of institutions at every level by losing his life.”
Heavy rains lashed the national capital on Saturday, leading to widespread waterlogging. This tragic incident further compounded the woes of Delhi residents, claiming the lives of three students. The bodies of two females and one male were recovered after a prolonged rescue operation involving the National Disaster Response Force and five fire engines, which lasted for hours.
An official statement quoted by PTI stated, “The three civil services aspirants died after the basement of the building housing a coaching centre in central Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar area was flooded following heavy rain.”
Gandhi emphasized that every citizen deserves a safe and comfortable life, highlighting the responsibility of governments to ensure this. Meanwhile, the Delhi Police detained the owner and coordinator of the coaching center, facing charges of culpable homicide, as reported by PTI.
