Aam Aadmi Party workers and leaders on Saturday staged a protest near Raj Niwas, the Lieutenant Governor’s secretariat, seeking LG Vinai Kumar Saxena’s resignation over the unfortunate deaths of a mother and her son, who fell into a drain in Mayur Vihar Phase 3 on Wednesday.
According to reports, a mother and her son died after slipping into a waterlogged drain in East Delhi. The AAP claimed that the under-construction drain falls under the jurisdiction of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), which is governed by the LG.
A large number of AAP workers gathered near the LG’s official residence in New Delhi on Saturday, raising slogans and demanding justice for the bereaved family.
The protest was led by AAP’s Delhi State Vice-President and Kondli MLA Kuldeep Kumar. Besides demanding LG Vinai Kumar Saxena’s resignation, the protesters also called for the immediate suspension of the concerned officers officers of the Delhi Development Authority and urged the LG to ensure justice for the victims’ family.
The AAP has claimed that the deceased mother and her two-and-a-half-year-old son lost their lives due to the alleged negligence of the DDA, which falls under the jurisdiction of the LG.
The party further alleged that no action has been taken against the guilty officials so far, nor has any financial assistance been announced for the victims’ family.
AAP workers arrived near the LG secretariat around 12 pm on Saturday. After being stopped by the police, the party leaders, MLAs, councillors, and volunteers participating in the protest sat on the road and began raising slogans against LG and the BJP.
AAP leader Kumar alleged that as soon as the DDA’s name was mentioned in the matter, the LG disappeared. He further demanded that a murder case be registered against the officials responsible for the deaths of the mother and her son.
The local MLA from the area where the incident occurred demanded that the LG take action against the DDA officials responsible for the incident.
Speaking during the protest, AAP leader Reena Gupta hit out at the LG, alleging that instead of fulfilling his responsibilities, the LG halts the work of the Delhi government and claimed that he is unable to manage the DDA effectively.
AAP’s Delhi State Convener Gopal Rai had alleged on Friday that the BJP and the LG were politicising the Old Rajinder Nagar tragedy while ignoring the negligence of the DDA that allegedly led to the deaths of the mother and her son.
While addressing a joint press conference with Kuldeep Kumar, Rai criticised the LG for failing to take action against the responsible officers and for not announcing compensation for the victims’ family.