AAP leader Atishi meets students protesting over deaths of 3 UPSC aspirants at Old Rajinder Nagar

New Delhi [India], July 31 : Delhi Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi Marlena, along with Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi on Wednesday, met with the students protesting over the tragic deaths of three UPSC aspirants due to flooding in the basement of a coaching institute on July 27 at the Old Rajinder Nagar in Delhi.
Speaking to ANI, Atishi said that they were called by UPSC aspirants to meet with them and to have a talk about the laws that the Delhi government is going to bring.
"We met a lot of UPSC aspirants at the Delhi Secretariat today. They called us here and asked us to meet the students. We have come here to talk about it with the UPSC aspirants about the law that the Delhi government is going to bring. We have come here to talk about the demands of the students," she said.
Later, taking to X, Atishi promised that students that the Delhi government will take strict actions against responsible officers, introduce a coaching institute regulation act, and curve expensive coaching fees, among other things.
"I met UPSC aspirants at the site of the incident in Rajendra Nagar. Delhi government's promise to students is- 1. As soon as the investigation of this incident is completed, strict action will be taken against all the responsible officers, big or small. No one will be spared. 2. Coaching Institute Regulation Act will be introduced. 3. 10 student representatives will be involved in the law drafting process. 4. The expensive fees of coaching institutes will be curbed. Important issues like rent, brokerage, facilities and safety of students will also be included in the law. 5. Until the law is made, a Grievance Redressal Office will be set up for students in the office of the local MLA, Drugesh Pathak. 6. Government libraries/reading rooms will be built in major coaching hubs of Delhi using Mayor's fund. The Kejriwal government stands with the students. We will not make any compromise on their well-being and safety," she mentioned.
Earlier today, Atishi met with a student delegation of major coaching centres from different parts of Delhi, including Rajinder Nagar, Mukherjee Nagar and Nehru Vihar.
She said that the meeting was attended by all senior officials of the Delhi government, including the education department, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) officers, law department, and fire department. She further said that they have listened to the concerns of the students and taken feedback from them on the aspects of the regulations they will bring.
"We had a meeting in which many students from major coaching hubs from different parts of Delhi, including Rajinder Nagar, Mukherjee Nagar, and Nehru Vihar, were present. All the senior officers of our Delhi government, including the education department, MCD officers, law department, and fire department, were present there. We listened to the concerns of the students and took feedback from them that if we bring a regulation, what should be the aspects of it?" she said.
She also said that the students raised issues about the infrastructure, fees, and no place to study after the libraries in the basements of coaching institutes had been sealed.
"The students raised many issues. The issue of infrastructure of coaching institutes came up, issue of fees of coaching institutes came up. Students have raised the issue that the libraries which were running illegally in basements have been sealed but now they do not have any place to study. We have promised the students that some solution will be found to their short-term as well as long-term problems," she said.
Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) leader Jaya Prada also met with the students at the protest site today.