New Delhi [India], May 6 : Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Delhi unit chief Saurabh Bharadwaj on Wednesday criticised the BJP-led Delhi government over the handling of the Vivek Vihar fire tragedy, alleging delayed rescue efforts and a pattern of shifting blame onto victims instead of addressing administrative lapses.
Referring to the incident in which nine people, including a one-and-a-half-year-old child, were killed in a fire at a bungalow in Vivek Vihar, Bharadwaj said the government had attempted to construct a narrative that fault lay with the victims, as per a release.
"Among the deceased was a one-and-a-half-year-old child. The government created a narrative suggesting that the fault lay with the victims themselves," he added.
Bharadwaj further stated, "It was claimed that the residents had installed iron grills and automatic doors, which shut and prevented them from escaping. According to this narrative, the government bore no responsibility, and those who died were themselves at fault."
He compared the incident with the earlier Palam fire tragedy, alleging a similar pattern of blaming victims instead of addressing systemic shortcomings.
Bharadwaj also questioned the official explanation that a single staircase contributed to the inability to escape, pointing out that many residential buildings in Delhi typically have only one staircase.
"How can the blame be placed on the fact that there was only one staircase?" he asked, and further questioned Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, asking how many staircases exist in the Shalimar Bagh bungalow where she resides.
He also asked how many staircases there are in the Janakpuri residence of Minister Ashish Sood. He pointed out that in most homes in Delhi, there is typically only one staircase to access upper floors, so what exactly is the government trying to argue, he questioned.
As per the release, the AAP leader further raised concerns over the emergency response, alleging that fire services took significant time to begin operations after reaching the site.
The real issue being concealed is that the residents of the house where the fire broke out are themselves saying that the fault lies with the government. According to them, fire brigade vehicles reached the spot about 20 minutes after being called, and even after arriving, they did not begin operations immediately," he said.
He added that there was an additional delay in deploying equipment, claiming that the total delay amounted to nearly 50 minutes.
"They reportedly took at least 30 minutes to prepare their equipment. This amounts to a total delay of 50 minutes by the Delhi government's fire services. Residents claim that had the fire brigade arrived on time and begun operations promptly, lives could have been saved. People were shouting for help from the balcony, but they could not be rescued," Bharadwaj added.
Questioning accountability, he asked, "If nine people are burned alive in the national capital, inside a bungalow in a posh colony, even after authorities were informed, should the government not be questioned?"
Bharadwaj also alleged inconsistencies in the official version regarding automatic locking systems and claimed that some residents had denied the existence of such mechanisms.
He questioned why the government repeatedly places blame on the victims in such incidents. "This is because the government does not want people to question its incompetence and failures, and wants to avoid accountability," he added.
The senior AAP leader further highlighted, "In the Palam incident, nine people died, including three young girls who were burned alive. In Vivek Vihar too, nine people have again died similarly. Such incidents can happen in anyone's colony, in anyone's home. Due to the government's incompetence and failure, such a major tragedy can occur anywhere. Therefore, everyone must question the government and hold it accountable."
In a post on X, Bharadwaj demanded clarity from the government over the delay in rescue operations and the findings of earlier inquiry reports.
"Nine people were burned alive in the Vivek Vihar fire tragedy. The BJP-led Rekha Gupta government must explain why the victims are being blamed, why it took 50 minutes for the fire department to begin relief and rescue operations, why there was no water pressure in the fire brigade's water cannons, and where the District Magistrate's inquiry report into the March 18 Palam fire incident is," Bharadwaj wrote on X.
On May 3, a fire broke out in a residential building in the Vivek Vihar area of Shahdara, resulting in the death of at least nine people in the early hours.
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