- 2 months ago
Rescue operations have ended at the site of the five-storey PG building collapse in Delhi’s Satya Niketan, with the toll rising to seven. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta ordered administrative action, following which five MCD officials, including a deputy commissioner, were suspended. Police also arrested the building’s owner, Hariram Gupta, his wife Urmila and their son Mahesh. The Delhi High Court, meanwhile, sought a high-level investigation into possible lapses by civic authorities and the university. Student representatives from the ABVP and NSUI flagged poor infrastructure, fire-safety violations, illegal alterations and steep rents at private accommodations. They said Delhi University has only around 7,000 hostel seats for nearly seven lakh students. Separately, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told a defence conclave that the armed forces would deliver a decisive response to cross-border terrorism.
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00:17Good evening, you're watching To The Point from Kreeti Chaudhary. These are the headlines.
00:25After 27-hour rescue operation is now over, Delhi Chief Minister orders big NCD crackdown fire officials, including Deputy Commissioner
00:35Axed over PG collapse incident in Delhi's Satya Niketan that claimed seven lives till now. Building owner Hari Ram Gupta,
00:43his son Mahesh and wife Urmila have been arrested.
00:52Delhi High Court calls for high-level probe into building collapse, says MCD-DU also responsible for tragedy. High Court
00:59calls the tragedy most unfortunate and says government cannot escape responsibility.
01:09Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay engaged in a fierce face-off against opposition DMK in the Assembly. Addresses allegations of
01:17corruption, women's safety and law and order issues. Launches a sharp counter-offensive against DMK, accusing them of past corruption.
01:30At Aajsad, Suraksha Sabhat, Chief of Defence Staff, General N.S. Raja Subramani says that modern warfare can reach beyond
01:39front lines, says India must build multi-domain capacity, resilience and self-reliance.
01:50It is a mega India Today exclusive. Ram Mandir's newly appointed CEO, retired Air Marshal, Jitendra Mishra says, signs of
02:02key events with Jai Shri Ram.
02:26All right, viewers, latest news break coming in right now from Satya Niketan.
02:30Rescue operations have ended after 27 hours. Three arrests in the Delhi building collapse have already taken place.
02:38Building owner Hari Ram Gupta has been arrested. Building owner's son Mahesh and wife Urmila also taken into custody.
02:45The latest coming in is that right now authorities yet to announce the number that are still missing, but seven
02:54dead till now.
02:55And the latest coming in is that rescue operations have been called off.
03:00The electricity connection was in Hari Ram's name for this building, while his son Mahesh managed the building.
03:06On paper, the property was in the name of Hari Ram's wife Urmila.
03:10All three, the father, the son and the wife have all been taken into custody.
03:18What the hell is, the father, the father, the son of a real life?
03:27How many of you have been arrested and drop on the bullseye?
03:31We just have actually met the building collapse on Satya Niketan area.
03:36We have arrested three people.
03:37to be arrested. Initially, we thought that the owner of Haridam Gupta was the owner of Haridam Gupta.
03:42After the incident, we made 10 teams in different locations.
03:49They were also sent to their residence, but finally, they were arrested.
03:53They told that the electricity connection was their name and their son operated with them.
03:59But the owner of Haridam Gupta was the owner of Haridam Gupta.
04:07The owner of Haridam Gupta also told themidiy happened to the building and it
04:54All right, that's the latest that is coming in.
04:57Meanwhile, here's one thing that stands glaring in this massive tragedy in Delhi.
05:04That what was the proverbial Delhi University dream, where students from far and wide across
05:09the country came in chasing their future in the national capital, hoping to get the best
05:14education, 7 lakh colleges in Delhi.
05:18How many seats in hostels?
05:21Just 7,000.
05:22That entire Delhi University dream today is crumbling or has come crashing down, viewers,
05:29with this building.
05:31The infrastructure in the national capital, the capital of this country, cannot afford
05:36to support the dreams of its youth.
05:38And that has been documented by the visuals you see on your television screen.
05:4911 seconds, a Dio student trapped beneath tons of concrete.
05:57Dust on his face, blood on his skin, debris closing in.
06:04Yet, he finds the strength to pick up his phone, show where he's trapped and send an SOS.
06:13This was Aditya, a second year BCom student at ARSD College.
06:17He survived, seven others did not.
06:26The five-story PG in Satya Niketan collapsed in seconds.
06:32A nearly 50-year-old building, five floors where only two to three were permitted.
06:38An aging PG with renovation work underway when it collapsed.
06:42And suddenly, the Delhi University dream became a fight for survival.
07:09Students came for a degree and a better future, but they will never make it back home.
07:14Opposition has targeted the government.
07:35As police nabbed the PG owner and five MCD officials are suspended, the government has promised more action.
08:04But ABVP and NSUI want more, demanding accountability and the sacking of MCD commissioner, Sanjeev Khir.
08:14Satya Niketan is the heart of Delhi University's South Campus.
08:19ARSD, Sri Venkateshwara, Motilal Nehru, Ramlal Anand, Jesus and Mary, Meitri.
08:25Colleges surrounded by maize of student PG's.
08:28This is where the DU dream comes to live.
08:32Now the collapse has exposed Delhi's PG mafia menace.
08:38Decrepit buildings and illegal construction.
08:41Structural and safety violations.
08:43Occupancy limits ignored.
08:45Little oversight.
08:47Arbitrary pricing and hidden charges.
08:51Social media is flooded with students exposing expensive PG's with appalling conditions.
08:57For many, there is no choice.
08:59Limited hostels and expensive PG's.
09:02Safety becomes the price they cannot afford.
09:06India Today's ground report found dilapidated buildings packed into narrow lanes.
09:11Indwalks.
09:12No guidelines are not yet.
09:15All agencies are employed, primarily these are the first year paying gas accommodation.
09:21You can see here, from the streets around this way, the youths.
09:27You see the flowers, flowers.
09:30You see the flowers and the trees on the balcony.
09:31People are standing in the balance of the garden.
09:44They came to Delhi with books in their bags and dreams in their eyes.
09:47The families will remember Delhi for something else.
09:50Not the degree they came for, but the building that took them away.
09:57This was not just the collapse of a PG.
10:00It was the collapse of a promise.
10:02The death of the Delhi University dream.
10:06With Masmi Singh, Bureau Report, India Today.
10:14Because sadly, viewers, on the lives that we have lost today of these young students
10:19stands the epitaph of the death of Delhi University.
10:23We gave you the names of the students who have perished in this tragedy.
10:28And the names will never quite be remembered, will they?
10:30And that is, like I said, the biggest tragedy in all of this.
10:35But will things change?
10:37Some would suggest not.
10:39So what happens now from here on?
10:41Let's cut across to our panelists this evening.
10:44Joining me, Mohamed Adhan Asfi, BA Political Science.
10:49First year, Atmaram Sanatandharam College.
10:51His PG was just 50 meters away from that building that collapsed.
10:56I also have with me Anaswara Ramesh, second year BA Owners, Economic Students, SRCC, who lived
11:02in a postgraduate in the first year now, has changed to a flat.
11:06Arian Maan, ABVP, Doosu President, Gurmehar Kaur, Youth Congress Leader.
11:11Vijay Reddy Malangi, spokesperson CJP.
11:14Namesha Das, founder of Euthocracy.
11:18I want to cut across to the two students who, one of them, was living in a PG and then
11:26moved
11:26to a flat.
11:27And the other, whose house or his PG was just 50 meters away from this ill-fated building.
11:34Mohamed, if you can hear me, can you take us through on what you witnessed, what happened?
11:42All right, so before this event happened, I went for a haircut and one hour ago, so when
11:48I came back to my PG, I saw that I heard a lot, loud noise.
11:54And when I went there, I saw that a four-story building had collapsed.
11:59And after one hour or 1.5 hour, I was still there, but no police was there, no forces was
12:06there, so it was just the local students, the friends of the people who were under the
12:10rubble.
12:11They were the ones helping out.
12:13And NSCY was one prominent student union that was present there.
12:19All right.
12:20So, Mohamed, so when did the authorities finally come in?
12:24And right now, because, you know, that's one building, there are multiple buildings exactly
12:29functioning the same way, possibly the one that you live in as well.
12:34Definitely, if I had the opportunity to show you my room right now, I'm paying $15,000 or
12:40something.
12:41Can you show me your room?
12:43Absolutely, ma'am.
12:44So, this is the kind of small room I'm living in.
12:47Can we go full screen?
12:47Give me a second.
12:48Can we go full screen on that?
12:49Show me your room.
12:50Yeah.
12:51Show me your room, Mohamed.
12:53Is it visible?
12:54Yes, we can see.
12:55Go ahead.
12:56Yes.
12:56I'm sharing this room with my partner and we're living in this room, which is very small.
13:03And if we see there's only one bathroom without any food and the conditions that are here are
13:08inhumane, rats are here everywhere, electricity is there.
13:12When we see that meters are there and then we're expected to live in conditions like this.
13:18So, Mohamed, can you once again show me your room and tell me how much you and your roommate
13:24pay for this room?
13:27Absolutely, ma'am.
13:28So, this is the kind of room.
13:30This is one bed.
13:31This is the second bed.
13:32And these are the four walls that are here.
13:35I'm paying $15,000 for a cupboard and a bed.
13:39And the PG owner takes $30,000 out of this room, $15,000 from me and $15,000 from my
13:45roommate.
13:46So, this is the kind of condition that we're expected to live in.
13:49I am in an ARSD college, which is a national ranking seventh college.
13:54And I got in through that through merit.
13:56And when I came here, there were no hospital facilities.
13:59And if I had chosen some other area, such as Moti Bagh, that would be far away.
14:04Then I have to pay more for commute.
14:05So, this is the kind of conditions that we were expected to live in.
14:09If we would not have chosen Satya Niketan, then we would have faced more trouble.
14:14So, I think we have no other option than choosing this area to live in and risking our lives.
14:18I personally feel unsafe in living in areas like this.
14:23And you have no option.
14:25This room barely fits two small beds, Mohamed, that you're standing in right now.
14:30Does it have a fire safety outlet?
14:34Is there any norms being followed?
14:37Nothing.
14:39Ma'am, this was a big hall, which was converted into three rooms by the owner of this PG.
14:46And before one year, this was not even registered as a PG.
14:50So, this is the kind of condition we live in.
14:52And there is no fire safety.
14:54There is nothing here.
14:55So, if, God forbid, some emergency does happen, we would have to risk our lives.
15:01We have no other option.
15:02And if we would live somewhere else, you would have to pay more.
15:06And this is the public university infrastructure.
15:09Just two kilometers from here, there is another public university, JNU, who is giving hostels
15:14at 220 rupees per month.
15:17And we are expected to live in these conditions after paying 15,000.
15:21Just one year ago, a student died in Satya Niketan from jaundice.
15:25This is the kind of conditions that Satya Niketan is in.
15:31Mohamed, you stay on with me.
15:32And I am sorry that you have to live in these conditions.
15:34Where are you from, Mohamed?
15:36I'm from Jaipur, ma'am.
15:38You've come all the way from Jaipur to study in a college in the national capital.
15:42And you're paying 15,000 without, only for the room.
15:45That's it.
15:46Nothing else.
15:47That's what you're paying.
15:48So, the PG owner gets 30,000 rupees from that one tiny cubicle that you are in.
15:53It looks barely 15 by 15 feet.
15:55I want to, you know, just stay with me.
15:56I want to, you know, go across to Anaswara Ramesh.
16:00Anaswara, you're someone who used to live in a PG,
16:02but then decided to move out to a flat.
16:05Why did you make that decision?
16:09I mean, it was not the best decision I could have taken.
16:12If I have to be, if my facts have to be very clear,
16:15I was staying in a 30K PG in Kamala Nagar.
16:19I'm a student at Shriram College of Commerce, University of Delhi,
16:22in the northern side.
16:23So, I was paying my parents.
16:25They were, the only sole reason they were ready to pay such a hefty amount.
16:29Mind you, my college fees is just 30K.
16:31At the same time, I have to pay 11 times if my, for the entire year,
16:35just for my accommodation, which, according to me,
16:39should be of a secondary priority,
16:40because I came here from Kerala to take care of my primary purpose,
16:45which was to gain education from the national capital, as clearly mentioned.
16:48So, the entire situation that led me, that primarily led me to change my accommodation
16:55was, first, I personally had so much amount of, you know, trauma in terms of this much
17:02amount of money of my parents are being just basted on accommodation.
17:06I mean, this is not something I personally wanted to put a burden on my parents.
17:10That's a primary reason.
17:11Secondary, definitely, in fact, coming from Kerala, you know, I was, I was absolutely like
17:17looking at the flamboyance of, you know, the PG businesses.
17:20I mean, most of them are with so much of influence, so much of money, and I'm not even sure
17:25about
17:25the sources.
17:26But I've heard from my seniors that the same PG that I was living, there were cases of, you know,
17:31some kind of infrastructural defaults that happened that led to some casualties.
17:36But with the money and influence these PG owners had, they were able to completely settle the case.
17:42So, my parents wanted to, like, ensure that such cases did not happen with me,
17:47because as everybody, like, we come here for an aspiration, we are still living here for an aspiration
17:54to succeed in our life, to, you know, whatever the hype about Delhi University is all about.
18:01So, to live through all these experiences is absolutely pathetic.
18:05But let me just reiterate the major defaults with, I mean, the accommodation I had and the
18:13major decision of me choosing a flat was definitely the cost.
18:17And second, being the food, because even after paying so much, I mean, they kept on using,
18:23I mean, they kept on reusing the oils.
18:26We had so much of issues with, you know, the food, the quality of the food, the quality of
18:32ingredients they used to make.
18:34And, in fact, since there is very less number of, you know, students who are, who can actually
18:40afford these kind of PGs, we were all very scared to, like, point out.
18:44And if at all they point out, for the next few days they might sustain the, you know, quality
18:49assurance.
18:50But after that, they completely used to be bored.
18:52So, yeah, that was the advice.
18:54So, Anaswara, what you're telling me is, I'm sorry, I know, you know, thank you for sharing
18:57your ordeal with me and our viewers.
18:59I want to again ask you, so you were paying 30,000 rupees a month for a PG, right?
19:06Yeah.
19:07And you chose to leave that because?
19:11First, our living conditions were not very much like according with the, accordance to
19:17the, you know.
19:18Money that you were paying.
19:18Money that we are by, yeah, exactly.
19:21And how much are you paying now for a flat?
19:24I'm paying 9,250 per month.
19:27Which you're sharing with other girls?
19:29Yeah, exactly.
19:30I'm sharing with three other, three friends of mine.
19:34All right.
19:34So, okay.
19:35And you are at the SRCC College, right?
19:41All right.
19:42Okay.
19:42Stay with me, Anaswara.
19:43Both Mohamed and Anaswara, I'm going to come right back to you.
19:46I have some young student leaders with us.
19:49Aryan Maan, ABVP, DUSU President.
19:51Gurmehar Kaur, Youth Congress Leader.
19:53Vijay Reddy from the CJP.
19:56And Naimisha, who's the founder of Youthocracy.
19:59I want to cut across first.
20:00Gurmehar, let me bring you in because you've been very, very vocal.
20:04Where Twitter is concerned, social media is concerned.
20:07This is really not a BJP problem, Gurmehar.
20:10This is something that has been festering on for very long.
20:12But on the outset for it, for someone who studied in Delhi University,
20:17what's your view?
20:18Is this the actual end of what was the proverbial DU dream?
20:22Because it's clearly fraying at the edges.
20:25Because if one looks at the figures, and I'm just going through them,
20:28and it's astounding.
20:29Seven lakh colleges in this capital.
20:30Seven lakh seats, I beg your pardon.
20:33In Delhi, and just 7,000 seats available in hostels.
20:38One can just do that math.
20:40We'll put the graphics out on that.
20:44You know, the truth is, ma'am, it's not simply just the end of the DU dream.
20:50It's the end of the Indian dream.
20:51What is the Indian dream?
20:52The Indian dream is something very simple.
20:54That if you study very well, if you crack a UPSC, if you crack a NEED exam,
20:57if you crack a JE exam, then your future will be set.
21:00That you, as a young child, will be able to pull yourself out of your social situation,
21:05whatever that situation may be, whatever kind of oppression you may be born into.
21:09If you're, you could be born into financial oppression, you could be born into gender oppression,
21:13you could be born into caste oppression, and it could be anything.
21:16But the dream is that if you study hard, if you crack these exams, if you get into a good
21:22college,
21:22you will succeed in life.
21:25That was the dream that I came to Delhi University with.
21:30So have all of these children who have come to Delhi University.
21:34You know, a lot of these kids who live in PG's do not come from a lot of money.
21:38There's a kid whose father is an electrician.
21:41For them to pay 15,000, 17,000 rupees a month is a whole amount of their savings.
21:47But they do it because they believe that this is the way that they can create happiness
21:54or create a happier future for their kids.
21:57And then what does the state then give back?
21:59You know, a PG building falls.
22:01It kills students.
22:04Then a NEED exam is leaked.
22:06Your UPSC exams are compromised.
22:08In Punjab, there's cheating that happens.
22:10So your state is completely inadequate in giving the foundation,
22:16protecting the foundation of these dreams.
22:18So what has the government done here?
22:20They have not simply, you know, these are not simple issue, issue, issue.
22:25The message that the next generation is getting is that,
22:29see, we could do whatever.
22:30We could study very hard.
22:31We could get a lot of marks.
22:36We could get, crack all of these exams and get into the rankings.
22:41Yet our dreams will not be fulfilled.
22:43So why even bother?
22:45You know, why even bother?
22:46So the truth is, you have not only taken away the right to free speech or the right to education.
22:51You have taken the next generation's right to dream.
22:55Okay.
22:56Aryan, you're from the ABVP.
22:59Technically, the political party that you're associated with,
23:03some would say it's a three-tier government which is being run in the national capital,
23:08which the Congress also constantly pushes forth and says,
23:12aap teen engine ki sarkar hai,
23:14where you have your party which you're affiliated with at the center,
23:17in the government in Delhi and the MCD.
23:20But the ABVP was and is protesting, which is good.
23:24But what are you protesting against and what are you looking at?
23:29Hello, everyone.
23:31Yesterday, I got call around just 15 minutes after the incident happened.
23:38Me and my team went to the location with all the ABVP members and everything.
23:45So we went there at the situation.
23:47With proper police coordination, we were helping all the big stones to be kept out from the current location.
23:58Also, we demand the resignation of MCD Commissioner
24:03because he has given the permission to the PG owners.
24:08He has given the permission to his lower authorities to approve the PG license.
24:17I personally believe that government should create a reform.
24:22Government should create a hostel or a PG cell.
24:26Like after every 15 days, there should be a proper inspection.
24:32There should be a proper security protocol.
24:35There should be a proper fire audit.
24:37So such kinds of situations never happen in the future
24:40because ABVP is first priority.
24:44Student safety is our first priority.
24:46So I personally believe that government should create a proper hostel and PG cell.
24:54So such kind of problem doesn't happen in future.
24:57Also, as a DUSU president, I have also locked down.
25:04Like I have closed the hostel of Hansraj College
25:08because the building was very old.
25:10Now I have demanded the principle to reconstruct it
25:15and reconstruction has already started.
25:18Also, the Hindu college.
25:19There was no boys hostel in Hindu college.
25:22I personally demanded...
25:23Alright, so stay on with me.
25:24Arjun, stay on with me.
25:24I'm going to bring in Rahul Singh Kajla,
25:26who was the spokesperson of the NSUI,
25:29somebody who's been on ground as well.
25:30Rahul, I want to bring you in.
25:32Why get into the politics of ABVP is associated with the BJP.
25:36What are they protesting?
25:37It's a good thing.
25:38They're asking for exactly what you're asking for.
25:40What's wrong with that?
25:43Priti, before that, let's name names here.
25:47Neeraj Kumar, Nitesh Chib, Asghar Ali, Krishna.
25:53These are the students who came to Delhi with dreams in their eyes.
25:56We are putting their names out there.
25:58Rahul, right on the top band of what you're saying
26:00is all the names who have died in the tragedy.
26:03We are putting all their names out.
26:04I'm saying it because my friend Arjun refused to name these students.
26:09And I will tell you why he refused to name these students.
26:11He's right now sitting in, I think, a 60-70 lakh rupee SUV.
26:16He doesn't understand the problem of these students.
26:19Priti, I'll show you what these PGs look like.
26:21This is a PG room.
26:22This is an 8 by 10 PG room, 50 meters away from the incident.
26:28And what's the rent of this PG room?
26:30The rent for this PG room is 30,000 rupees.
26:34This is the situation in which students are living.
26:36And we need to ask questions to ABVP.
26:40We need to ask questions to the Bhartajanta party
26:42because the current CM of Delhi is alumnus of ABVP.
26:47We need to ask questions to these people
26:49because there is an 8-layer BGP governance
26:52where this incident happened, right?
26:54Why was NSUI, why were people like me
26:58left to become the first responders?
27:01This is a book which I got from one of these students
27:04who lost his life in this incident.
27:06Why were we left to pick up those boulders,
27:10those stones from over on top of those dead bodies?
27:16Where was the administration which is responsible
27:19for these operations?
27:21NDRF took more than three hours to respond.
27:23And I will tell you,
27:24this was a very well-calculated murder
27:27committed by the Ministry of Urban Affairs,
27:31Mr. Manoharlal Khattar,
27:32under whose watch a bureaucrat
27:36who was assigned a punishment post-in
27:39was appointed as the commissioner of DDA
27:45which is responsible for implementing
27:47these building bylaws.
27:49Every other PG which is in this area,
27:52I fail to call these rat holes PGs,
27:54every other rat hole in this vicinity
27:57is another disaster which is yet to happen.
28:02Students are still living here.
28:05Rekha Gupta Ji came,
28:06did her tragedy tourism.
28:09She climbed over this mandir
28:11which is near the site,
28:14took a 20 minute tour there,
28:17did nothing else,
28:18walked away.
28:18Where is she today?
28:19She is ex-DUSU president.
28:21She should have remained on site.
28:22Why am I Rahul Singh?
28:24Rahul Ji.
28:25Rahul Ji.
28:26Rahul Ji.
28:26Just tell me one thing.
28:28Rahul Ji.
28:28Rahul Ji.
28:29Please stop.
28:29Rahul Ji.
28:30Just tell me.
28:30Allow him to finish.
28:31I will come to you.
28:34I want to bring in two other guests.
28:35Your national president
28:36was just hammering
28:38around just for the video.
28:40Shame on you for doing this.
28:41Shame on you for doing this.
28:43All right.
28:43Let's go one by one.
28:44There's no point
28:44if he's talking with each other.
28:45For exactly this.
28:47People like you
28:48embarrass me
28:49and embarrass the entire Delhi University.
28:51You are a murderer.
28:53You and your party
28:54is responsible
28:55for these lost lives.
28:56Rahul,
28:57you've said your piece.
28:59Where these kids are today.
29:01Okay, Rahul.
29:02You have said your piece.
29:03Allow me to go to Aryan.
29:04Aryan,
29:05you wanted to quickly respond.
29:06Go ahead.
29:07Yeah.
29:08When I went there,
29:10there was only five
29:12NSUI members.
29:14There were only five
29:15NSUI members
29:16who were just
29:17hammering the walls.
29:19Who were just
29:19hammering around like this.
29:20Well, it's not about
29:21who was hammering the walls
29:22and who was there.
29:23The national president
29:25was holding mic
29:26just to speak people
29:27this, that,
29:27this, that,
29:28those.
29:28I'm telling you,
29:29he was holding the mic.
29:30Okay, it's not about
29:31who came in
29:32and who wasn't there.
29:33I would both urge,
29:36you know,
29:36ABVP was the only
29:38student organization
29:39yesterday which was
29:41cooperating with the police,
29:42which was cooperating
29:43with the government members.
29:45We were helping them.
29:46It's not about politics
29:47and I think both of you
29:48are young enough
29:50but to understand
29:52the empathy of it
29:53and old enough
29:53to understand
29:54the seriousness of it.
29:56Yesterday,
29:56ABVP was the only
29:57student organization.
29:58Don't drag it into
29:58petty politics.
29:59Right now,
29:59I'll come back to you.
30:00You know what,
30:00I'm going to come right back to you.
30:02to protest outside
30:03MCD commissioner's office.
30:04I will come to you, Rahul.
30:05Allow me to bring in
30:06Vijay Reddy as well
30:07and I'm coming to you.
30:07we did the protest
30:08and today
30:10five members of MCD
30:12are suspended.
30:12You said you are protesting.
30:14Rahul,
30:14the fact is
30:15if ABVP wants to join in
30:17in protest,
30:18that should only be welcomed
30:19and not looked down upon
30:20and I'm going to bring in
30:21the CJP spokesperson
30:22after this.
30:23Yeah, okay,
30:24you have 10 seconds.
30:24Make your point.
30:26ABVP wants to protest
30:27against itself,
30:28let them do it.
30:29But they should also
30:30ask the government
30:31on the 6th of May,
30:322026...
30:32Listen, listen,
30:36who was the
30:40CM of Delhi
30:41before Rekha Gupta?
30:42Okay, I don't want to get into this.
30:44Can I just have a hard cut there?
30:45This bedding was constructed.
30:45I'm moving away
30:46from this conversation.
30:47Rahul, fix your mic.
30:48We can barely hear you.
30:49Fix your mic there.
30:50I want to bring in
30:51Vijay Reddy Malangi
30:52into this conversation.
30:53Vijay,
30:54over the last couple of months,
30:56the Kokhron Janata Party
30:57has seemingly become
30:58the fulcrum
30:59on which rests
31:00at least the angst
31:01of the youth.
31:02How does your outfit,
31:04which is a political
31:05pressure group,
31:05look at addressing this?
31:07Very unfortunate
31:08what has happened.
31:09We share our deepest condolences
31:11with the families
31:12who have lost their dear ones
31:13and we also pray
31:14for the recovery
31:14of those who are battling
31:15for their life.
31:16This is not a fight
31:17between ABVP,
31:18NSUI,
31:19CJP.
31:20This is a fight
31:20for basic amenities,
31:22basic rights,
31:23for justice
31:23that the students deserve.
31:25And this is not
31:26a one-off incident
31:27like it's already
31:28been mentioned.
31:29In July 2026,
31:30a similar incident
31:31happened where 23 people
31:33were killed.
31:33There was no fire exit
31:34to that building.
31:34It was in South Delhi.
31:36In July,
31:37in Rohini,
31:37three people were dead.
31:38In May 2026,
31:40five medical students
31:41and one engineering student.
31:42And back in 2024,
31:44in Rajendra Nagar,
31:45we know what happened
31:45with the flooding incident.
31:46So this is a civic,
31:48not just mere civic apathy,
31:50this is collapse
31:50of Indian cities
31:51that we are seeing right now.
31:52If we don't fix them,
31:54if we don't fix
31:54our engineering code,
31:55if we don't fix
31:56our third-party audits
31:58for all structural construction,
31:59if we don't have
32:00political accountability
32:01and bureaucratic accountability
32:03fixed for this,
32:03this is only going
32:04to get amplified.
32:05This is only going
32:06to get multiplied.
32:07And I want to draw
32:08a contrast here
32:09with BJP in particular.
32:11They have spent
32:12close to 11,000,
32:14sorry,
32:151124 crores
32:16on their offices.
32:17And they had
32:18a very visionary plan
32:19from 2014
32:19to build their offices
32:20in 718 districts.
32:23And they give
32:24regular updates
32:24as to in 2025,
32:26they have completed
32:27618 offices.
32:28Now, PM Modi
32:29is due to inaugurate
32:30on September 8th
32:32in Ahmedabad,
32:33which has 40,000 square feet
32:35AI, high-powered
32:36internet-separate cabins.
32:38So, where is the priority?
32:40Is the government,
32:40which is having power
32:42in the center,
32:43are they supposed
32:44to build their offices
32:45or are they supposed
32:46to fix the hostels?
32:47Like you said,
32:481.6 lakh kids,
32:50students study
32:50in Delhi University,
32:52including the distance education
32:54and other students,
32:55it goes up to 7 lakhs.
32:56And all of these
32:57student unions,
32:58especially ABVP,
32:59which has promised
33:00to come up with
33:01new hostels,
33:03I feel very sorry
33:04to say this,
33:04but for the last 10 years,
33:06please correct me
33:07if I'm wrong,
33:07the hostels
33:08that were built
33:09were zero.
33:10Zero hostels
33:10that were built
33:11for these kids.
33:12Now, where do you
33:12expect them to study
33:13and where do you
33:15expect them to live
33:16under these
33:17dilapidated buildings?
33:19So, we need
33:20political accountability
33:21and I strongly feel
33:23like I am a
33:23civil engineer myself.
33:24I worked as a
33:25project manager
33:26in New York
33:26and I know
33:27how hard is it
33:28to build buildings.
33:29You need
33:29at every stage
33:30of your construction,
33:32you need a third body
33:32audit to be done.
33:34Do these buildings
33:34have such audits?
33:35Is our municipal
33:36department
33:38given all these,
33:40following all these
33:42legal provisions
33:43or, you know,
33:43are we at least
33:44thinking of that?
33:44Or are we only
33:46restricting ourselves
33:47to knee-jerk reactions?
33:50This is not our job,
33:51this is not ABVP's
33:52or NSU's jobs
33:53to do disaster management.
33:55Why is the disaster
33:55happening in the
33:56first place?
33:57That is what we
33:58need to focus.
33:59Fair point, Mr. Reddy.
34:00I want to bring in
34:00Naimisha,
34:02who is the founder
34:02of Euthocracy.
34:03It is an outfit
34:05which addresses
34:06the needs of the
34:07youth of this country
34:08and Naimisha,
34:09this is something
34:11which has been
34:12spoken of for decades
34:14now on how
34:15Delhi completely
34:16struggles and crumbles
34:17under the weight
34:18of the dreams
34:20of the youth
34:21of this country
34:22where lakhs
34:23and thousands
34:23flock to the
34:24national capital
34:24for a better future
34:25in education.
34:27And just to give
34:27our viewers a number
34:29because it's astounding
34:30and that's just the
34:31tip of the iceberg here.
34:337 lakh students
34:34who go to Delhi
34:36University
34:36from not Delhi
34:38who come in
34:39from the outside.
34:407 lakh.
34:41And Delhi has
34:42only 7,000 hostel seats
34:44to offer these
34:457 lakh students.
34:46Over to you, Naimisha.
34:49I don't think
34:49I have much to add
34:50on this because
34:52I really don't have
34:53words today, Preeti.
34:54Because I was staying
34:55in Satya Niketan
34:56myself for five years
34:58and honestly
34:58nothing has changed.
34:59I'm not really surprised.
35:00I may sound as
35:01extremely cold here
35:02for saying this.
35:03I'm not really surprised.
35:04It was bound to happen.
35:05The PG that I have
35:06been staying in
35:07like I was staying in
35:09is still existing there.
35:10The, you know,
35:12the walls of the building
35:13is still leaning towards
35:14and it will be leaning
35:15towards even for
35:16the next debate
35:17when I'm sitting here
35:18and another mishap
35:19would have taken place
35:19and I really don't
35:20want that to happen
35:21but it is going to happen.
35:23Satya Niketan
35:23is not a new thing.
35:24Every single person
35:25out there knows
35:26how PG mafias function.
35:28Even I am afraid
35:29to name them
35:29because every single
35:31person knows
35:31who they are
35:32and they stay there.
35:32I don't even want to
35:34name there
35:34that who are the politicians
35:35and who are their relatives
35:37who still have
35:38the posters
35:39and the stickers
35:40of MLS sticking
35:41to their car
35:42and roaming around
35:43and running
35:44the huge buildings
35:45out there.
35:46What the exact thing
35:47happened in this PG
35:48they literally just
35:49color up the inside
35:50part of the PG
35:51and they show it
35:51to all the parents
35:52that this PG is safe.
35:54I was 16 year old
35:55when my father
35:56came to drop me
35:56at this PG
35:57and I know
35:58I hate saying this
36:00I hate remembering this
36:01I remember the time
36:02when I was standing
36:03outside of my PG
36:04and I was crying
36:05because my PG owner
36:06had locked me up
36:07inside my PG.
36:08Why?
36:09And this is exactly
36:10how the harassment
36:11happens there.
36:12Do you realize
36:13you pay literally
36:148,000, 10,000
36:1515,000
36:16for sharing only one bed
36:17where you do not
36:18even have an access
36:18to a window there.
36:20And this is the
36:21entire PG mafia
36:22that runs
36:23even in collaboration
36:24with the MLA
36:25with the mayor
36:26with the MCD.
36:27One major thing
36:28why is the
36:29very famous
36:30MCD commissioner
36:31who is known
36:31for taking his dogs
36:32on a walk
36:33not thinking
36:34to go and take
36:34his dog for a walk
36:35there.
36:36Maybe that is
36:37the only thing
36:37he is good at doing
36:38instead of
36:39you know
36:39literally playing
36:40with the lives
36:40of his students.
36:41If Mrs. Rekha Gupta
36:42or if MCD commissioner
36:44cannot leave
36:45their own children
36:45out there
36:46in Satya Niketan
36:47and then on what
36:48basis they are
36:49doing it to
36:49other students.
36:50And I just need
36:51to add this
36:51because the MLA
36:52also stays there
36:53and I literally
36:54have a lot of
36:54I had a lot of
36:55respect for him.
36:56I had a lot of
36:57respect and I had
36:57a lot of
36:58expectations for him
36:59for the Archipurum
36:59MLA out there
37:00before he came
37:01into power.
37:01But right now
37:02I even have a
37:03question to them
37:03because even his
37:04children are
37:05staying there
37:05they must be
37:06knowing that
37:07how can he be
37:07okay with other
37:08children staying
37:08there.
37:09Please don't tell
37:10me that he was
37:10not aware
37:11because even his
37:11family members
37:12they go there
37:12for a walk
37:13around.
37:14It's just a
37:16systematic...
37:17Fair point.
37:17Fair point.
37:18And I just
37:18want to take
37:18final words
37:19from all of
37:20you because
37:20it's not just
37:20Satya Niketan
37:21and what we
37:22are going to
37:22do over the
37:23course of the
37:23next few days
37:24is viewers.
37:25A Satya Niketan
37:26is an Amar
37:26colony where
37:27other colleges
37:28in South Delhi
37:29come into question.
37:30I studied and
37:31it's been a while
37:32where Lady Sriram
37:34College was there
37:34and right behind
37:35I know the
37:36condition of the
37:37PGs in Amar
37:38colony.
37:39And I'm sure
37:39it's the same
37:40right now in
37:42Kamla Nagar,
37:43any small colony
37:44around North
37:46Campus as well.
37:47So nothing
37:47quite has changed.
37:48I just want to
37:49take final comments.
37:49Mohamed, I want
37:50to bring you in
37:5110 seconds.
37:53Do you see
37:53things getting
37:54better or do
37:55you think nobody
37:56is going to
37:57listen to you?
37:57Absolutely not.
37:58Currently my
37:58friend...
37:59Once again,
38:00would you show
38:00me your room
38:01again because
38:01people need to
38:02see this once
38:03again and tell
38:04me your last
38:05final comments,
38:05Mohamed.
38:06Can we go full
38:07screen with
38:07Mohamed?
38:09Can you see my
38:10room?
38:10Yeah, so it's a
38:1110 by 10 and
38:12you pay 30,000
38:13with it and you
38:14and your...
38:15roommate, share
38:16the room.
38:17Go ahead, make
38:17your point,
38:18Mohamed.
38:19Yes, so this
38:21is the kind of
38:21room that I live
38:22in and when we
38:25are expected to
38:25live in rooms
38:26like this, so
38:27they do not
38:29treat us like
38:29humans.
38:30So these
38:31student union
38:32leaders that
38:32are here, I
38:33want to question
38:34Mr. Arjan
38:34Man that after
38:36becoming the
38:37president of
38:37Delhi University,
38:38how many times
38:39has he visited
38:40this?
38:40How many times
38:41has he questioned
38:42that South
38:42Campus may be
38:43are there
38:44hostels?
38:45There are no
38:46hostel facilities
38:47and if there
38:47are any hostel
38:48facilities in
38:49North Campus,
38:49let's take the
38:50example of
38:50Hindu College,
38:51it is not
38:52affordable one
38:53year for
38:531,50,000.
38:55A normal
38:56person who is
38:56coming to a
38:57public university
38:58cannot afford
38:58this kind of
39:01hostels.
39:01Okay, good point
39:02Mohamed, I'll ask
39:02we'll take that
39:03question to Arjan.
39:04Anaswara, final
39:05comments, make
39:06your point.
39:08So I think
39:10at this point
39:11as a student
39:12living far away
39:12from home, I
39:13think we need
39:14to look beyond
39:15this as an
39:15isolated building
39:16collapse incident.
39:17For many
39:18students coming
39:19to Delhi,
39:19particularly from
39:20outside the
39:20city, private
39:21PG accommodation
39:22is the only
39:23option available
39:24for the fact
39:25that the
39:26government
39:26institutions,
39:28colleges in
39:28Delhi University
39:29do not house
39:29the entirety of
39:30its students.
39:31So we cannot,
39:32as a student,
39:33I can 100%
39:34be very sure
39:35that we cannot
39:36expect an 18
39:37year or 19
39:38year old student
39:38to assess whether
39:39this five story
39:40building is safe
39:40for me to live,
39:41whether it's
39:42construction is
39:42authorized or are
39:43they following the
39:44bylaws of the
39:45buildings.
39:45We can't.
39:46So I don't think
39:47the answer is
39:47simply another
39:48inspection or
39:49another tragedy.
39:50The question is
39:51why is our
39:52systems taking up
39:53these things only
39:53after the incident
39:54has happened?
39:55Fair point.
39:55Or has happened?
39:56Save the audit
39:57after it.
39:59I hear you.
40:00I wanted to go
40:01to both Arjan
40:02and Rahul and
40:04Mr. Reddy
40:05especially.
40:05I hope you'll
40:05join me tomorrow.
40:06We need to cut
40:07across to Mr. Rajanad
40:08Singh who's
40:08speaking right now.
40:09But we're going
40:10to do a bigger
40:11story tomorrow
40:12and I hope to
40:13see you, all
40:14three of you
40:14back on the
40:15debate.
40:15Let's cut across
40:16to Rajanad Singh
40:18who is the
40:19defense minister
40:19at our defense
40:21conclave.
40:21Listen in.
40:45I hope to
40:50nindaniya hai
40:52jyuh yudh se ghabarai
40:54wa santi nindani hai jyuh yudh se ghabarai
40:57waha yudh
40:58bundanui hai yuh santi
41:01ke liye leida je
41:04hama nye e aespaš kar dya hai
41:06que ya ni kobe dix bharat ka khilaaf
41:08Atenkubad ko badaaba dae ga
41:10to phir dialogue nai hoga
41:12phir bharat kisi nai
41:14iska zabaab dengye
41:16اور mahi sasa haong ki
41:17áaj tuk ki suraqsa svaa ke mahadhima se
41:20this state will then go to the world.
41:24In this case, we will now have another state.
41:28When any country has the prosperity,
41:31or the prosperity of the world has increased,
41:34and has increased,
41:35then it will become the character of the world.
41:38There is a culture and a culture of the world.
41:42But in this evolution,
41:45the people of this country have the fighting spirit,
41:47is the people of fighting spirit
41:49are going to be a fighting spirit.
41:53This is the fact that
41:54our fighting spirit
41:56is going to be a part of it.
41:57And this is what we have seen.
42:01So today, when we have
42:03a big city, we will be able to
42:04keep our fighting spirit
42:07that our fighting spirit
42:09is not going to be a part of it.
42:12We have the people of indies
42:13and the people of indies
42:14and the people of indies
42:23।
42:25।
43:29Thank you very much.