Rahul Gandhi Calls “Basement” Coaching Center Deaths Unfortunate

Rahul Gandhi expressed his condolences regarding the tragic deaths of three students at a coaching center in Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar, attributing the incident to a “collective failure of the system.” The students—Tania Soni, Shreya Yadav, and Nevin Dalwin—lost their lives due to flooding in the basement of Rau’s IAS Study Circle, where they were studying. In a statement on social media, Gandhi highlighted the government’s responsibility for ensuring the safety of its citizens, emphasizing that the unfortunate deaths were a direct consequence of inadequate infrastructure and poor town planning.

Gandhi lamented the recurring incidents of negligence, recalling a recent case where a student died from an electric shock during heavy rainfall. He underscored that the common citizen is paying the price for unsafe construction practices and the irresponsibility of various institutions. He called for immediate accountability and improvements in safety standards to prevent such tragedies in the future.

In response to the incident, the police arrested the coaching center’s owner and coordinator, charging them with culpable homicide and negligence. Other political figures, including Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi and Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, also condemned the incident, demanding accountability for the negligence that led to the loss of young lives. They stressed the need for stricter regulations concerning construction and safety in areas frequented by students, advocating for a comprehensive review of safety measures to protect those pursuing their educational aspirations.