JOIN USMundka fire: AAP claims building owner enjoyed protection from BJP leaders
The AAP on Sunday held the BJP responsible for the death of 27 people in the Mundka fire, alleging that "illegal industrial activities" were going on in the building as its owner Manish Lakra enjoyed protection from leaders of the saffron party.
The BJP, however, said Lakra is neither its member nor has he ever held any position in the party.
Lakra was arrested on Sunday in connection with the May 13 fire that ripped through the four-storey building that did not have a fire safety certificate or firefighting equipment.
Addressing a press conference here, senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Durgesh Pathak showed some pictures in which Lakra is seen with some BJP leaders, including former North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) mayor Master Azad Singh.
"Lakra is a BJP man. That's why MCD gave him protection and illegal industrial activities continued in the building," Pathak charged, adding "the BJP and its leaders are responsible for the death of 27 people in the tragic incident of fire in the building. They were all hand in glove".
The AAP leader demanded that a thorough probe be conducted into the incident and the strictest action be taken against all those responsible, including those from the BJP who gave protection to Lakra and allowed the illegal activities to continue in the building in violation of rules.
"Lakra and BJP MP Parvesh Verma's uncle Master Azad Singh have deep ties," Pathak alleged.
He said the BJP-ruled civic body gave a factory licence for industrial activities in the building but later revoked it in 2017 after "they probably realised that it was wrong to allow industrial activities there".
In 2019, the AAP leader said, a Supreme Court-appointed committee sealed the building.
"Even today, the building is officially sealed on paper. But the illegal industrial activities continued there in violation of all the rules. It's because Lakra enjoyed protection from BJP leaders," Pathak said.
He also claimed the building was used as the BJP's campaign office during the 2015 Delhi Assembly polls.
"All the BJP leaders, including (Delhi BJP president) Adesh Gupta, were well aware of the illegal industrial activities going on in the building despite it being officially sealed," he alleged.
The BJP and its leaders have also allowed such illegal activities at various other locations in Delhi "for their greed", the AAP leader said.
The Delhi BJP rejected Pathak's claims and termed them "a total lie".
"During elections, many people support a political party but that doesn't mean they are party members or office bearers," Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said in a statement.
He said the NDMC never issued any factory or storage licence for the said building.
In 2016, the owner of the building had "taken out a factory licence under the self scheme, which was soon cancelled by NDMC authorities," he claimed.
"Pathak's statement is a total lie. In fact, it is the Delhi government which owes a reply (on) how this building got so many heavy electricity connections and a fire NOC," Kapoor hit back.
"Truth is that in 2019, a Delhi government liquor shop had opened in this building. On a complaint, the Supreme Court constituted a monitoring committee which sealed the building," he said.
The owner of the building later approached the committee and got it de-sealed after paying the penalty etc. in 2020.
Lakra, who was on the run since May 13, was arrested from Delhi's Ghevra Mod following multiple raids in the national capital and Haryana. He was going towards Haridwar in Uttarakhand, police said.
Lakra used to live on the fourth floor of the commercial building. He managed to escape to the adjacent building along with his family members when the fire broke out, the police said.
Seventeen people were also injured in the fire.