The ongoing protests in Old Rajinder Nagar against the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) have intensified as students demand accountability following the tragic death of three UPSC aspirants. The fatalities occurred on July 27 when the basement of Rau’s IAS coaching centre was flooded with rainwater. On Wednesday, Tariq Thomas, Additional Commissioner of the MCD, addressed the protesting students, who have been on a hunger strike for four days.
#WATCH | Old Rajinder Nagar incident | Tariq Thomas, Additional Commissioner MCD interacts with the protesting students who are on a hunger strike against the death of 3 students after the basement of a coaching institute in Old Rajinder Nagar was flooded with rainwater on July… pic.twitter.com/4uYaROPLuF
— ANI (@ANI) July 31, 2024
During his interaction, Tariq Thomas acknowledged the failure of MCD officials in preventing the incident. “It is a failure for all of us and me personally also. It is a failure for us as officers that this incident has happened… This should not have happened. We should have done our duty better, there is no excuse…,” he said in a video shared by news agency ANI on social media platform X.
The students outside the coaching institutes in Rajinder Nagar continue their protest, insisting that their demands have not been adequately addressed. As part of the ongoing demonstration, a delegation of students was escorted by police to the MCD commission office to meet with officials.
Despite their protest, the students have expressed that they will not prevent others from attending classes at the institutes or colleges. This sentiment was echoed by Delhi Police’s Additional DCP, Sachin Sharma, who empathized with the students’ plight. “Three people have died. Why will we hide anything? We assure you that we will do whatever is legally possible. The investigation is on…,” Sharma said, urging the protesters to understand that he shares their emotions despite his uniform.
“I was part of you. I can completely understand what you are going through because I am also going through the same. Don’t think that since I am wearing the uniform I am feeling nothing… I am feeling a lot. But I have some responsibilities as well. I hope that you also get these responsibilities very soon,” Sharma added.
On Tuesday, students and representatives from 15 coaching institutions met with the Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Delhi, Vinai Kumar Saxena, at his residence. A student who attended the meeting reported that they demanded a compensation of ₹3 crore for the families of the deceased students. While the coaching centre has not disclosed the exact compensation amount, they have agreed to provide compensation.
