New Delhi, 08 September (H.S.): Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Delhi unit president Saurabh Bharadwaj has questioned the functioning of the Delhi government, alleging that a mobile phone jammer was installed at the site of the building accident in Satya Niketan. He said the jamming of mobile signals made it difficult for people trapped at the site and those present there to make calls for help.

On Tuesday, Bharadwaj shared a video on the social media platform X and alleged that the government must clarify who ordered the mobile signals to be jammed near the building housing paying guest (PG) students in Satya Niketan. He said that in incidents involving building collapses, people trapped under the debris often use mobile phones to contact family members or relief agencies and seek assistance.

The AAP leader alleged that the installation of a jammer at the site prevented local residents from calling ambulances or seeking other forms of assistance. He said that if anyone was trapped under the debris and mobile connectivity was unavailable, their situation could have become even more critical.

Bharadwaj also questioned Chief Minister Rekha Gupta over what he described as delays in relief and rescue operations. He asked why it allegedly took two to three hours for a National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team to reach the site and why a government ambulance also reportedly arrived nearly two hours late.

He claimed that the first ambulance to reach the site after the incident was a private ambulance operated by Blinkit, while the government ambulance arrived around two hours later. He also alleged that the commencement of relief and rescue operations was delayed by approximately two to two-and-a-half hours.

The AAP Delhi unit president said the incident occurred in central Delhi and that the time taken by relief and rescue teams to reach the site, despite its location, raised serious questions about the administrative arrangements. He claimed that it took more than 24 hours to clear the debris of a building covering an area of approximately 100 square yards.

Saurabh Bharadwaj appealed to students of Delhi University to raise the issue.

He said that if, at the ground level, the accessibility of relief agencies and communication systems during a disaster are in such a state, it is natural for questions to be raised over the government’s claims regarding development.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar