‘I’m being targetted….': Drishti IAS founder Vikas Divyakirti on flak after Rau's coaching deaths

Vikas Divyakirti, the founder of Drishti IAS coaching institute, which faced the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) crackdown, alleged on Monday that he is being targeted because “everyone wants a scapegoat.”

“I am getting targetted because in such cases, everyone wants a scapegoat. It makes things easier for the administration, they think they are safe, let that one person suffer, and even the society feels that they have got the accused...The students are going through an emotional turmoil, the reason for their anger is why did I not stand with them,” Divyakirti told ANI.

ALSO READ: UPSC Coaching Centre Deaths: Horror in Old Rajender Nagar leaves students angry

“The sealing action took place on more than 50 institutes, one of them is ours...3 children died, it was a painful death, for the last 3 days whenever we talk at home or I go to sleep, an image comes to my mind that what those children must have gone through when the water was filled inside,” the Drishti IAS founder spoke on the deaths of Shreya Yadav, Tanya Soni and Nevin Dalwin due to drowning in the basement of Rau's IAS Study Circle in Old Rajinder Nagar on Saturday.

ALSO READ: What went wrong at Rau's IAS centre? Delhi official's probe report reveals

“All the things said by the students who are protesting right now are valid. It is good that I have met 3-4 students today. I had a meeting with Delhi LG. Some students had also come to that meeting and there were also owners of many institutes. There were also top officials of the Delhi government, from DDA, MCD, fire department, Chief Secretary,” he added.

The MCD sealed the basement of Drishi IAS in its crackdown following the tragedy in Old Rajinder Nagar. Responding to the civic body's action, Divyakirti said,"We completely agree that the basement should be sealed. But Delhi Metro runs in the basement, underground, and Palika Bazar is in the basement itself. Almost every mall in Delhi has very big shopping complexes in the basement because the basement there has been built properly"

“I am saying on record that we have submitted the complete layout structure of the basement to MCD, DDA and the fire department for NOC, and there has been no rejection from there till now...But despite this, after seeing the incident that happened in the last 3 days, I feel that this was carelessness,” the educator added.

“The thought never came to our mind and I am saying very openly that even if we get the permission in future, we will not work in the basement. I assure you of this and not a single coaching institute should run the basement,” he said.