BJP blames AAP, Cong for Delhi's infra, safety woes under their rule

Delhi BJP President Harsh Malhotra blamed Congress and AAP governments for failing to regulate PGs and hotels from 1998-2025. He alleged their 'criminal negligence' turned Delhi into a slum and financially crippled the MCD out of political vendetta.

Delhi BJP President Harsh Malhotra (Photo/ANI)

BJP Slams AAP, Congress Over Infra Failures

Delhi BJP President Harsh Malhotra on Wednesday alleged that successive Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) governments in Delhi failed to address the city's growing infrastructure and safety challenges, particularly in the case of PG accommodations, coaching centres, guest houses and hotels.

Malhotra said the Congress and AAP governments, which ruled Delhi between November 1998 and January 2025, failed to frame adequate regulations and safety policies despite the rapid expansion of commercial establishments across the national capital.

"The criminal negligence of the Congress and AAP governments is responsible for the fact that, amid their dreams of turning Delhi into London or Paris, the city was reduced to a slum between 1998 and 2025," Malhotra said.

He also hit out at AAP and Congress leaders for blaming the BJP-led Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) over recent civic and safety-related incidents. Malhotra alleged that the two parties, while in power in Delhi, deliberately reduced funds allocated to the MCD due to a "political vendetta", thereby weakening the civic body's financial position and affecting its services.

"AAP and Congress leaders who are today blaming the BJP-ruled Municipal Corporation of Delhi must explain why, when they were in the Delhi Government, they deliberately cut the MCD's funds out of political vendetta, financially crippled it and weakened its civic services," he said.

The Delhi BJP chief further questioned why successive Congress and AAP governments did not introduce a comprehensive safety framework for the thousands of coaching centres, PG accommodations, guest houses and hotels that came up across the city. He linked the recent PG accident, as well as fatal incidents involving alleged illegal guest houses operating under the Bed & Breakfast licence system, to what he described as the policy failures of the previous governments.

"AAP and Congress leaders who are blaming the BJP every day must explain why, between 1998 and 2025, they failed to formulate any safety policy for the thousands of coaching centres, PG accommodations, guest houses and hotels that mushroomed across Delhi," Malhotra said.

He added that similar accidents had occurred in the past but alleged that the Congress and AAP governments failed to take adequate corrective measures. "Undoubtedly, some accidents have occurred in recent days, but is it not a fact that similar accidents had occurred in the past as well, and yet both Congress and AAP governments chose to ignore them?" he said.

Malhotra also criticised the opposition for targeting the BJP government, arguing that it had been in power for only 17 months, while the Congress and AAP had governed Delhi for more than two decades. He said the previous governments repeatedly promised to transform Delhi into cities such as London and Paris but failed to develop infrastructure and regulatory mechanisms, keeping in mind the city's actual requirements.

Satya Niketan Building Collapse Update

This comes amid intensified scrutiny of unauthorised and unsafe structures in the national capital following the recent building collapse in south Delhi's Satya Niketan, which killed at least seven people on September 6. The incident prompted the Delhi government and civic authorities to step up inspections and enforcement against illegal constructions.

Earlier, the Patiala House Court on Wednesday granted two days of police custody to Mahesh Gupta, contractor Sanoj Kumar and PG operator Sudhanshu in connection with the Satya Niketan building collapse case. Delhi Police had sought three days of police custody of Mahesh Gupta, Sanoj Kumar and Sudhanshu.

Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Kautuk Bhardwaj granted two days of custody of building owner’s son Mahesh Gupta, Sanoj Kumar and Sudhanshu after hearing the Delhi Police’s custody application. Mahesh was produced before the court after completing two days of custody, while Sanoj and Sudhanshu were produced after their fresh arrest.

Delhi Police sought three days of custody of the accused to investigate the case and arrest another PG operator, Shubham Tyagi. During the hearing, at the request of Sudhanshu’s counsel, the court ordered a camera proceeding (closed courtroom). The counsel said that the case was being turned into a “media trial” and objected to the presence of the media. Thereafter, the court asked the media to leave the courtroom.

The court granted two days of police custody after hearing the submissions of Delhi Police and defence counsel Yashpal Singh. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)