Satya Niketan Collapse: AAP Calls Out Minister’s Absence Amid Rescue Operations

When a five‑storey building in South‑West Delhi’s Satya Niketan collapsed on Sunday, the city woke up to a scene of shattered concrete, frantic rescue teams and, tragically, six lives lost.

Amid the chaos, Aam Aadmi Party’s Delhi unit chief Saurabh Bharadwaj took to X, asking where Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood was. “CM @gupta_rekha Ji, all agencies are at the site. Where is our UD Minister @ashishsood_bjp? He tweeted at 3 pm and then vanished. Did he catch a flight to Goa at 4 pm? If so, please call him back to Delhi,” he wrote, adding a reminder that Sood was once his senior colleague in ABVP.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, who has been overseeing the rescue effort, responded that the administration is treating the operation like a “war‑footing.” She said, “All relevant agencies – NDRF, Delhi Fire Service, police and the municipal corporation – are working in coordination to ensure a safe rescue.”

Gupta also announced a new policy push: every building used for public activities—whether a paying‑guest house, nursing home, school or similar facility—must now undergo regular structural audits and obtain safety certificates. Without these, the authorities will not allow any public function to take place.

The rescue teams have so far pulled twelve survivors from the rubble, while NDRF divers and fire‑service crews continue to sift through debris in hopes of finding more victims. The death toll rose to six after a body was recovered late at night.

In parallel, the Delhi government ordered an immediate seal on all illegal five‑storey structures across the city. An FIR has been filed against the building’s owner, Hariram, and a Look‑Out Circular has been issued to prevent him from fleeing. The municipal corporation will also face strict scrutiny for any lapses that may have contributed to the tragedy.

While the focus remains on rescue and relief, the political fallout is already evident. AAP’s sharp questioning of Minister Sood’s whereabouts adds another layer to a disaster that has already sparked public outcry over illegal constructions and lax enforcement.