NEW DELHI: The ruling Aam Aadmi Party on Tuesday blamed the Bhartiya Janata Party responsible for the building collapse in Sabzi Mandi area which claimed two lives. "The death of those two children is because of the Bharatiya Janata Party. BJP leaders are responsible for their death. Their corruption and greed are responsible for the death of these two children," said AAP leader Durgesh Pathak.
According to the AAP leader, the building - which was about 75-years-old - collapsed due to some illegal construction happening in it. However, the North MCD has denied any construction activity going on at the site in a statement released by them after the collapse on Monday.
"As per the local inquiry, the upper floors of the building were vacant and no construction activity was going-on. Further, no complaint regarding any unauthorised construction in the said building was received from any source in the Building Department," it had said.
The AAP has been upping the ante against the BJP ahead of the civic elections. "On September 2, councillor Guddi Devi, who has now joined the AAP, wrote a letter to the commissioner and informed the mayor that people from the local RWA alerted her that illegal construction is happening in this area. The Sabji Mandi Association chairman and other members informed that illegal construction is taking place. However, no investigation was carried out," said Pathak.
In the past 15 years, he said, the BJP has set up a system and looted the civic body. Now, they have devised a new method of looting money from the civic bodies. "They sold Delhi's legendary cinema hall and the land surrounding it. Now, in tomorrow’s Standing Committee meeting, they are bringing a proposal to sell the parking locations of four very historical places. These are Ajmal Khan Road, Bank Street, Karol Bagh; Old Rajinder Nagar; Shashti Park; and Pusa Lane, Karol Bagh," Pathak alleged.
Sheer luck saved family
Thirteen members of the Aneja family narrowly escaped what could have been a fatal mishap. The Anejas who occupied three out of the four floors were all, except one member, outside the house when the building collapsed Monday.