'System has failed': ABVP, NSUI protest over Satya Niketan building collapse, demand accountability

New Delhi: The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) on Monday held protests over the Satya Niketan building collapse in the national capital, demanding accountability and action against those responsible.

NSUI President Vinod Jakhar alleged a major failure in the rescue operation and questioned the preparedness of the authorities to deal with the incident.

He alleged that the system had failed due to a lack of disaster planning, management, equipment and a proper rescue team.


Also Read: Satya Niketan building collapse: MCD orders immediate sealing of illegal constructions above four floors

Speaking to ANI, Jakhar said, "It is a massive failure that the students have not yet been rescued. We are not sitting in some remote village; we are in Delhi, the national capital... Your system has failed completely because you lack a disaster plan; you lack management-you have nothing. You do not even have the equipment needed to get those children out. You do not even have a proper team. Where is CM Rekha Gupta? Bansuri Swaraj stayed for five minutes; Rekha Gupta stayed for half an hour... There is absolutely no accountability for them."

Jakhar demanded the demolition of private PGs and construction of new government hostels in their place.

"We demand the demolition of all these private PGs and the construction of new government hostels in their place. We also demand compensation for the families who have lost their children, the best possible medical treatment for the surviving students, and the strictest action against those responsible," he further said.

Also Read: Satya Niketan building collapse: Death toll rises to 6, MCD orders sealing of select illegal constructions in Delhi

Further, National Social Media Convenor, ABVP, Prerna Bhardwaj said the organisation had been at the site since Sunday and was protesting in solidarity with the affected students.

She said ABVP had also held a protest at the MCD office and demanded the resignation of the MCD Commissioner.

"We have been here since yesterday. A building has collapsed in Satya Niketan, and students have died. A lot of students are still being rescued, and this is a very tragic thing that has happened. We are sitting here in solidarity. We had a protest yesterday at the MCD office as well, and we demanded the resignation of the MCD Commissioner. We are all sitting here, and we are demanding accountability. What is the actual standard of student safety on the campus? That is our question, and we are not standing up from here until the last student is rescued," Bhardwaj said.

Meanwhile, Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, MCD Commissioner Sanjeev Khirwar, BJP MLA Anil Sharma and other officials visited the site of the building collapse.

The death toll in the building collapse has risen to six, with search and rescue operations continuing at the site as teams work to clear the heavy debris and look for any remaining trapped persons.