Accusing the BJP government of evading accountability for the Satya Niketan building collapse in Delhi that killed seven people, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying Mr. Modi puts labels such as “dimagi Naxal” and “naraaz phoopha” to anyone who asked questions.

“There is no accountability,” Mr. Gandhi said in a post on X, asking what explained the “helplessness” of a “triple engine” government in Delhi. 

Delhi building collapse: Follow LIVE updates on September 7, 2026

The lack of action stemmed from a “lack of intent”. Mr. Gandhi alleged that the government followed a “shameful pattern” of taking no preventive action before accidents, followed by grandstanding and attempts to fix responsibility on lower-level officials after tragedies.

“The collapse of the building packed with students at Satya Niketan is no isolated tragedy,” he said, referring to six deaths in a building collapse in Saidulajab and 22 deaths in a fire in Hauz Rani in the last four months.

Those demanding accountability were instead being “shamed, defamed and silenced”.

The remarks came a day after a five-storey building housing a boys’ paying guest accommodation near Delhi University’s South Campus collapsed while repair work was under way.

At a press conference, Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar, accompanied by NSUI president Vinod Jhakhar, stepped up the attack, calling the BJP’s “four-engine government” in Delhi a “killing machine”. 

Mr. Kumar pointed out apart from the Union government and the Delhi government, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was also controlled by the BJP and the Lieutenant Governor with executive powers was appointed by the Centre.

He also questioned the Prime Minister’s absence from the site, pointing out that Mr. Modi had addressed students at Delhi University’s Shri Ram College of Commerce on Saturday. “Narendra Modi went to SRCC for his PR, so why didn’t he go to Satya Niketan?” Mr. Kumar asked.

‘Dilapidated, unauthorised’

Mr. Jhakhar said rescue teams and medical personnel were not present at the site when the building collapsed and alleged that several PG accommodations around Delhi University’s North and South Campuses were dilapidated and unauthorised.

The Congress demanded inspection of all PG accommodations, construction of hostels within Delhi University, a rent control law for hostels and PGs, and compensation of at least ₹1 crore to each bereaved family.

Party leader Abhishek Dutt alleged that the scrapping of Section 466(A) of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act through the Jan Vishwas Act had weakened criminal action against builders undertaking illegal or dangerous construction.

He said the provision, introduced in 1985, allowed FIRs, imprisonment of up to six months and fines. Its removal had emboldened builders to undertake illegal construction and basement excavation.

Mr. Dutt also questioned the MCD’s structural safety surveys, saying that despite surveys of nearly one crore buildings between 2023 and 2026, only 103 had been declared dangerous. 

Several buildings that later collapsed, including in Satya Niketan, Mustafabad, Saket, Rohini and Karol Bagh, had allegedly not figured on the dangerous buildings list.

The Congress sought restoration of Section 466(A), a fresh safety survey, publication of the list of dangerous buildings and dismissal, rather than suspension, of negligent officials.