The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has demanded government accountability following the deaths of six people in the collapse of a five-story building used for student accommodation in India's capital, Delhi. Criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, CJP Convener Abhijit Dipke stated that while large political offices are being built across the country, the safety of students continues to be neglected. The five-story building collapsed around 1:30 PM on Sunday in the Chanakyapuri area near Delhi University and was rented out as a paying guest accommodation for students.
Thus far, six deaths have been confirmed from the incident, while 11 seriously injured individuals are undergoing treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi. As the debris has not yet been fully cleared, authorities fear that more people may still be trapped underneath. Following the incident, a CJP delegation visited the site and participated in the rescue operations. In a subsequent social media post, Abhijit Dipke questioned how much longer students must pay the price for infrastructural failures, alleging that not only the capital's mess houses but also the infrastructure conditions of schools and colleges across various parts of the country are alarming.
Dipke demanded a safety audit of all paying guest hostels in Delhi and called for ensuring government accountability. He also brought up Prime Minister Modi's recent participation in an event at Shri Ram College of Commerce under Delhi University, claiming that while Modi used the term 'dimagi naxals' at the event, he remained silent on the educational and infrastructural conditions surrounding educational institutions. Union Home Minister Amit Shah went on a three-day visit to Goa on September 5 and inaugurated a BJP party office in the village of Chimbel near Panaji, but shortened his event upon receiving news of the Delhi building collapse.
Dipke accused that while large BJP offices are being constructed in various states, students are forced to live in unsafe buildings. According to him, this is not merely an issue of a single building's safety, but a question regarding the security of the nation's young generation, prompting his demand to prioritize the safety of educational infrastructure including schools, colleges, and hostels.
