Delhi Congress calls Sadar Bazaar fire “man-made disaster,” seeks judicial probe

Terming the Sadar Bazaar fire tragedy a “man-made disaster" resulting from “chronic neglect, systemic corruption, and regulatory collapse," the Delhi Congress on Saturday demanded a judicial probe led by a retired high court judge to hold accountable those responsible for the lapses that led to the incident.

“The dense web of hanging electrical wires in Sadar Bazaar was a known hazard for years, yet no action was taken. This reflects the joint failure of the Delhi Government and the Municipal Corporation, who watched in silence as a disaster waited to happen,” said Delhi Congress spokesperson Naresh Kumar.

Kumar held both the Delhi Government and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi accountable for the incident, stating, “Had the fire broken out during the night, it could have resulted in a massive loss of human life. This incident is a glaring wake-up call, but sadly, the government seems fast asleep.

He called for the criminal prosecution of negligent officials and building owners who violated fire safety norms, as well as compensation of Rs 50 lakh for each affected trader and interest-free loans for business revival.

Kumar also sought emergency upgrades to fire and electrical safety infrastructure across major markets, A time-bound modernization plan including underground cabling in congested zones.

The Congress posed five questions to the administration over what it teamed “repeated negligence of fire safety norms, absence of a Fire Risk Zoning Policy, and lack of fire safety audits in high-risk markets like Sadar Bazaar.”

The Sadar Bazaar blaze has once again highlighted the urgent need for systematic reforms in Delhi’s infrastructure and market safety, he added.

Delhi