New Delhi: Delhi students' protests against the death of three UPSC aspirants last week escalated sharply Wednesday after more than 400 young men and women took to the streets in Rajendra Nagar to demand tangible action city officials and increased compensation to the families of those who died.
Delhi Education Minister Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj, her Urban Development colleague, as well as Mayor Shelly Oberoi met and spoke to the protesting students, who have also announced an indefinite hunger strike to increase pressure on the Delhi government and civic authorities.
The minister assured the students their demands would be met; a video shared by news agency ANI showed Atishi taking careful note of their concerns. However, when she tried to speak the Education Minister seemed to struggle to make herself heard amid shouts and slogans from angry students, many of whom said they were "forcefully" evicted from the protest site this morning by the police.
"We met representatives from coaching hubs (in) Old Rajendra Nagar, Nehru Vihar... Students put forth concerns and feedback regarding high fees, lack of infrastructure. They also shared concerns about exploitation in the form of high rent and brokerage," Atishi told news agency PTI.
The Delhi government, which also controls the Municipal Corporation, has promised to pass legislation to control 'coaching centres' in the city; there are hundreds, probably thousands, of such institutions, and many operate from cramped offices with little, or zero, clearance from city authorities.
Three students drowned after the basement of a coaching centre in Rajendra Nagar in west Delhi - made into a library in violation of by-laws - was flooded amid heavy rain. The rainwater mixed with sewage and washed back onto the streets, and into the basement, because the drains were clogged.
Their deaths triggered a political row, with the ruling Aam Aadmi Party taking flak from rivals Bharatiya Janata Party and allies Congress. The AAP and the MCD were also subject to tough questions from the Delhi High Court this afternoon; the court wanted to know if negligent MCD officers had been jailed.
Earlier a delegation of students were taken to meet the Education Minister and civic officials.
"We met a lot of aspirants in the Delhi Secretariat. They called us here and asked us to meet the students. The law the Delhi Government is going to bring... we have come here to talk about it with the UPSC aspirants. We have come here to talk about the demands of the students..." Atishi said.
This is the fourth day of student protests.
This morning the students, who have formed a 15-member coordination committee to steer the agitation, said the police were "forcefully" evicting from the protest site.
The students have demanded stricter control over the hundreds of 'coaching centres' profiting off the demand for UPSC training. The students also want authorities to ensure such 'coaching centres' do not use basements for libraries or classes.
Visuals from the site - a main road blocked by students carrying posters and placards and surrounded by police barricades - showed some arguing with cops trying to get them to move.
One student told NDTV the protesters would move immediately after assurances their demands - accountability and Rs 5 crore compensation for the dead students' families - will be met.
On Monday Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena said each family will get Rs 10 lakh.
But the police refused to listen, the student said, and began "forcefully" dispersing the protesters. She also accused the cops of "lying" to the students to get them to move.
"Why are we being treated like criminals?" the students asked the cops.
Earlier two busloads of students had been taken by the police to meet the Municipal Commissioner of Delhi. A third then appeared to clear away the remaining students.
This led to the confrontation between the protesters and the cops.
Angry students have demanded written guarantees from the officials that their concerns will be addressed and have said they are "sick and tired" of political blame-games that erupt after every tragedy, in which the ruling party (the AAP) and the opposition (the BJP) are quick to blame each other but do not solve problems, which in this case are clogged stormwater drains in parts of the city that lead to roads flooded with water, and sewage, during even moderate rainfall.
"Just because we are aspirants, they think we will break and after some days we will go back to our studies. So here we are to make sure this incident does not disappear till justice is served."
"Somewhere we hoped the administration will listen... (that) we will be heard by the UPSC coaching lobby, by the authorities... but after four days we realise this is going nowhere..."
Last evening Delhi Police spoke to protesting students, saying a case had been registered and arrests made. The cops asked the students for patience while they complete investigations.
"A case has been registered. Seven people have been arrested, including the coaching centre owner and coordinator, and the building owner. We are not leaving any stone unturned... our investigation is not complete," Deputy Commissioner of Police M Harshvardhan said.
The driver of an SUV that drove through the flooded street at speed, causing the water to swell and pour into the basement, was among those arrested. The vehicle was seized.