Even as rescue teams continue to search for survivors through debris, the Aam Aadmi Party slammed the BJP government and alleged that the authorities concerned ignored multiple warnings about the condition of the structure.
The BJP said the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) had suspended Junior Engineer Aman Jain and Assistant Engineer Sudesh Singh Chouhan in connection with the incident.
The suspensions came hours after former minister Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that complaints about the building were filed with the authorities.
Addressing the media, Bharadwaj claimed that the structure was originally a three-storey building and that additional floors were being constructed on top of it.
“This building is being portrayed as if it simply collapsed on its own and people died. That is not the case. It was a three-storey building on which fourth and fifth floors were being constructed illegaly,” he said.
Bharadwaj alleged that excavation work was also underway. “Our information is that a basement was also being dug and a water tank was being constructed because of which the building had tilted,” he said.
The AAP leader claimed residents and workers had raised concerns, with both the police and the MCD earlier.
“Written complaints were given to the police and MCD, which knew that the building had tilted and that it could collapse,” he alleged.
Bharadwaj also referred to a petition filed before the Delhi High Court. “The matter even reached the Delhi High Court. The people told the court that construction was going on and that the building had tilted and could collapse. But the MCD’s lawyer said there was no construction taking place there,” he alleged.
Adding another dimension to the controversy, documents circulated after Bharadwaj’s remarks sought to challenge the narrative surrounding the complaint.
The documents include correspondence from the Office of the Lokayukta and an application carrying the address of Abdul Sakir, whose complaint has been cited in connection with the issue. Those circulating the documents argued that Sakir’s address was listed in Tigri and questioned his connection with the affected locality.
No official inquiry findings have yet been released regarding the complaint, the petition or any action taken on representations made before the collapse.
The collapse, which took place on Saturday, triggered a large scale rescue operation involving multiple agencies. Locals told the authorities that more people could still be trapped beneath the rubble.
Delhi Home Minister Ashish Sood said rescue operations were being conducted on a war footing, with agencies working in close coordination to safely evacuate anyone trapped and provide immediate assistance to affected families.
