Former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot urged the state govt to order fire safety and structural audits of Jaipur's coaching institutes after a fatal fire in Lucknow. He warned of similar risks and demanded access to the Pratap Nagar coaching hub.
Gehlot flags safety concerns in Jaipur coaching centres
Congress leader and former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday urged the state government to order "immediate fire safety and structural audits of coaching institutes" in the city following the Lucknow fire incident in which 15 students loss their lives.
In a post on X, Gehlot said he had written a letter to Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, "alerting him that many coaching institutes in Jaipur are also operating in unsafe buildings," and warned that a similar tragedy could occur here if corrective steps are not taken.
He also demanded that coaching institutes be allowed to shift to the Pratap Nagar coaching hub, "but the BJP government halted it and began the process of handing over this campus to IIT Jodhpur."
"Our demand is that the decision to hand it over to IIT Jodhpur be immediately withdrawn, and coaching institutes be allowed to shift there," he said.
The three-storey building in Lucknow's Aliganj, which caught fire a day earlier, housed a gaming and animation studio. Among the 15 people who died in the blaze were students, trainees, and staff members working at the studio.
In a post on X, Gehlot wrote, "The tragic fire incident at a coaching institute in Lucknow, which claimed the lives of 15 innocent students, is extremely heartbreaking. In this regard, I have written a letter to Chief Minister Shri Bhajan Lal Sharma, alerting him that many coaching institutes in Jaipur are also operating in unsafe buildings, and a similar accident could occur here as well. Our Congress government had established Pratap Nagar as a coaching hub for the safety of students."
लखनऊ के कोचिंग संस्थान में भीषण अग्निकांड में 15 निर्दोष विद्यार्थियों की मृत्यु अत्यंत दुखद है। इसी मद्देनजर मैंने मुख्यमंत्री श्री भजनलाल शर्मा को पत्र लिखकर आगाह किया है कि जयपुर के अनेक कोचिंग संस्थान भी असुरक्षित भवनों में संचालित हो रहे हैं और यहां भी ऐसा हादसा हो सकता है।… — Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) June 23, 2026
"At that time, around 140 coaching operators had initiated the process to shift there, but the BJP government halted it and began the process of handing over this campus to IIT Jodhpur. Our demand is that the decision to hand it over to IIT Jodhpur be immediately withdrawn, and coaching institutes be allowed to shift there. Additionally, an immediate fire safety and building security audit of all coaching centers in Jaipur should be conducted," the post read.
Congress MP calls for strict adherence to safety norms
Further, Congress MP Imran Masood also expressed grief over the fire incident, saying that such tragedies highlight the urgent need for strict adherence to safety norms in coaching institutes. He stressed that fire exits must be mandatory in all such centres and warned that negligence cannot be attributed to any single party, adding that parents and institutions both share responsibility in ensuring student safety.
Speaking to ANI in Saharanpur (UP), Masood said, "Imagine the anguish of parents who witnessed their children facing death right before their eyes, no one can truly fathom that pain, nor the grief of those who have lost their loved ones. A similar incident occurred at a coaching centre in Delhi, and now this has happened. Coaching centre operators really need to adhere to safety norms... There must always be a designated fire exit."
"You see, no one knows when or where a mishap might occur, even in our own homes. So, having a fire exit is essential... Everyone is distressed because the tragedy has just occurred. You can't simply pin the blame on any single person. We are all at fault here; everyone bears some responsibility. We are the ones sending our children to study there. So, we too must be vigilant and not send our children to study in places that are essentially death traps," he further added. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)