Around 150-200 members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad ( ABVP ), the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ( RSS ), protested at Delhi’s Civic Centre over the functioning of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi ( MCD ) after a building collapse in the national capital killed three students and left several others trapped on Sunday, police said.
A security guard at the office was also injured during the protest, ANI reported. Five people died, while several others are feared trapped after the building, which was a paying guest accommodation, collapsed in Satya Niketan . Rescue teams are still carrying out operations at the site. Follow live updates here. The students were also reportedly seeking the resignation of MCD commissioner Sanjeev Khirwar. Police later cleared the area and dispersed the remaining protesters. There should be a fair investigation, the culprits should be held accountable, and the strictest possible action should be taken against them. Visuals shared by news agency ANI showed broken glass as police dealt with a large group of protesters gathered outside the MCD office in the national capital. “Police tried to stop them (ABVP members), but they did not stop. The collapse left the student neighbourhood in chaos, with rescue workers, worried friends and local residents searching through the debris for those who may still be trapped. (With inputs from Paras Singh and agencies)
Around 15 students were detained and taken to PS Kamla Market, where proceedings under the Delhi Police Act are being initiated, they added.
Police said the protesters entered the Civic Centre before sitting outside the main building and raising slogans against the MCD’s functioning. Some protesters tried to enter the main Civic Centre building by force, leading to a scuffle with police personnel, cops said. Cops said the situation is presently under control. In a statement, ABVP said, “Those guilty of negligence should not be spared at any cost. They also asked me to help stop them, and during that, I sustained injuries,” he said. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Amit Goel said an FIR has been registered against building owner Hariram and others at the South Campus police station.
