Delhi Home Minister Ashish Sood on Monday expressed distress, stating that it is painful when, after the loss of life, attempts are made to politicize deaths, which he termed “vulture politics.”
Image by ANI
Delhi Home Minister Ashish Sood on Monday expressed distress, stating that it is painful when, after the loss of life, attempts are made to politicize deaths, which he termed “vulture politics.”
Sood was speaking in the Delhi Assembly on the recent fire incident in the Palam area that claimed several lives. He said that investigations by the police and the fire department are underway.
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He remarked on the absence of the Opposition during such an important discussion, saying it reflects their attitude.
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He alleged that their irresponsible conduct over the past eleven years would be exposed, prompting them to stay away instead of accepting responsibility.
Referring to past incidents, he said that in January 2018, a major fire broke out in the Bawana industrial area, killing 17 people.
He added that the then government had shifted the blame to the MCD licensing department, stating that the fire occurred due to licensing failures while the MCD was under BJP rule.
He further recalled that in February 2019, a fire broke out at a hotel in Karol Bagh, also claiming 17 lives, where corruption in the NOC process was cited to shift blame to the MCD.
Sood also mentioned the 2019 Anaj Mandi fire, which claimed 43 lives. He said the then government blamed the delay in the Special Area Redevelopment Plan. He also cited the May 2022 Mundka industrial area fire, which killed 27 people.
“Had the Leader of the Opposition been present, I would have reminded her that she and AAP leaders claimed the building belonged to a BJP leader, thus shifting responsibility,” he stated.
Sood added, “We do not engage in vulture politics. None of us said that the building belonged to an AAP leader.”
Quoting the fire department’s initial report on the recent Palam incident, he said: “Highly inflammable material was stored in the basement. The staircase was internal, with no external access. There was an electronic shutter that did not open after the fire broke out,” the report noted.
He said that no one from the government engaged in blame politics and that within two hours, the Chief Minister ordered an inquiry and announced compensation.
Sood alleged that over the past 11 years, no serious effort was made to reform fire safety rules in mixed land-use areas or strengthen fire preparedness in unauthorized colonies, where it is extremely difficult for fire tenders to enter.
He shared that only Rs 4.72 crore was spent on capital expenditure for the fire department in 2015–16, Rs 8 crore in 2016–17, Rs 5 crore in 2018–19, and Rs 20 crore in 2021–22. He termed this minimal investment and questioned how the system could have been strengthened with such spending.
He said that, in contrast, the present government has allocated a significantly higher amount of funds for the modernization of the Delhi Fire Service, a large portion of which has already been utilized for new fire tenders, equipment, and infrastructure.
“In the last six months, our government has initiated a new communication network and command centre,” he added.
He said that the government is revamping the wireless network, upgrading outdated systems, and establishing a modern command and control centre. A third-party audit of establishments has also been initiated to improve fire safety compliance, he added.
He criticized the Opposition for engaging in petty politics instead of participating in this serious discussion.
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